Things Worth Changing
by RiaDeLeon
Summary: Mis has been given the opportunity to change a story from within it. She is dropped into the Half Blood Prince, with no magic, an over inflated sense of cosmic justice, a desire to avoid collateral damage, and a rather unusual ability. Can she change the story for the better? or will she find some things shouldn't be changed? Rated M to be safe. More info within.
1. Eventful Changes

**Authors Note: Hi everyone, this is my first attempt at a FanFic. I have big plans for this story, and I intend it to be long (over 150,000). I've decided to do the infamous 'OC gets dropped into the wizarding world' trope, but don't worry I'm going to do my best to avoid any MarySue-ishness. I'll be messing with canon from book 6 onward, but I'll try and avoid making characterstoo OOC. Also, I'll be mixing canon from the books and movies together. I don't expect this fic to be overly serious, and I hope anyone who reads it is open to a bit of absurdity. Please R &R, as I would love to know if you want more!**

 **Disclaimer: All canon plots and characters of the Harry Potter franchise are not my property. Obviously.**

 **Chapter 1: Eventful Changes**

Up until this point, life had been entirely uneventful. However, on this day, there was a strange electric current that made the air heavy, and buzzing. Laying in her bed, with her eyes still closed, she attempted to remember the dream she had been having.  
All she could recall were snippets of color, and material. Warm colored stone, a green landscape with soft crisp veil of mist, but no discernible message or reason to the dream. With her mind still cloudy with sleep, she felt a charge in the air.  
It felt like a presence, and in the hazy early morning half-light of her room, she felt a twist in her stomach and a reluctance to open her eyes.

Slowly, her tension receded as she began to hear her home waking up. She could hear her mother shuffle her slippered feet on the oak floors, one of her siblings in the bathroom with the faucet running, her father…was definitely still asleep, because he  
was a smart man, a man who knew that it was Saturday, a man who wholeheartedly believed _no one should wake up before the sun on the weekend_. She was a firm supporter of her father's philosophy, unlike her mother, sister and brother, who seemed  
to jump out of bed every day with a ridiculously optimist flourish of their pajamas, bright eyes and easy smiles, ready to kill everyone with kindness.

As the smells of coffee, bacon and pancakes began to creep into her room, she snuggled further in her bed, decidedly cozy and content to remain there. Her body, however, felt a twinge of hunger at the delicious aroma of her mother's cooking, and she decided  
it was time to face the day. She kicked off her covers, checked the time on her phone which read 5:13, and began hunting for her slippers in her room (which her mother affectionately referred to as Chernobyl). Finally, having located her slippers,  
she put them on along with her cream colored floral robe, and went to brush her teeth and hair.

She walked to the kitchen, pulled by her gurgling stomach. Her mother gave her quick glance from where she stood, frying bacon in her pajamas.

"Well, this is a nice surprise, have you decided to embrace this lovely morning, Mis?" Her mother said wryly, tilting her head and raising an eyebrow. She smiled at her mother's words.

"No, and I won't be coherent until I mainline some coffee" Mis grumbled good naturedly. Her mother pointed to the brewed coffee pot next to the sink, and Mis walked over groggily to fixed some for herself. Halfway through the cup, her eyes began to open  
fully. Her mother placed a small stack of pancakes in front of her already doused with maple syrup with a pad of sweet cream on the top. It was mostly silent in the kitchen, expect for the homey sound of her mother cooking.

Mis' brother walked into the kitchen dressed in a pair of oil stained jeans and a maroon sweatshirt, saw her sitting at the table and narrowed his eyes in mock suspicion.

"Yes, I'm awake, Yes, it's probably a sign of the apocalypse." she said with an impatient wave of her hand. He nodded his head solemnly.

"As I thought." he confirmed solemnly, turning to their mother "Mom, gather the canned food, I'll seal the doors, apparently the end in nigh." Her brother said dispassionately.

"Alright hon, I'll get on that when the bacon is done" she said without looking up.

"Hilarious" Mis deadpanned, taking a sip of coffee.

Her brother loaded up his plate with fruit, pancakes, and a small mountain of freshly cooked bacon, then sat down on the bench in front of the kitchen table. He then proceeded to shovel food into his mouth at an alarming rate, Mis sighed in exasperation.

"Really?" she said, "We're trying to maintain a modern society here. With the way you're wolfing down those pancakes, I expect for us to be set back at least 500 years from your eating display alone." She quipped, the coffee activating her mind into it's  
regular state of playful sarcasm. In response, he opened his mouth full of food at her. "Such dignity." she said, fighting the urge to smile.

"Oh, Mis could I borrow your car? I've gotta go to the junkyard to get a couple parts for the Vette." Said her brother.

"Come on, Ryan. You were there like three days ago, what could they have possibly gotten in three days?" She argued. "Maybe I have a life too, maybe there are places I want to go." She said, slightly annoyed.

"You went to Bookman's yesterday, there is literally no way you have anywhere to be." Ryan said with a steady look. His statement was, of course, correct; however that didn't stop her from being a little offended. She had the intention of staying in today  
and sorting through the books she had gotten, so she heaved a long-suffering sigh

"Fine, but you better wash it after, don't skimp on the detailing either, that goddamn dustpit junkyard dirt got all over my baby last time and it took me an hour and a half to scrub off that grime." she said, pointing her finger at him threateningly.

"Language." her mother said crossly, "I didn't raise you to speak like that." Her mother chastised. Mis shrugged unapologetically.

"It _is_ a god damned place, I'm being accurate." Mis insisted in defense of her comment. Her mother gave her a level look, as she placed a huge plate of bacon on the table.

Her brother mopped up the remaining maple syrup on his plate with a piece of toast hurriedly. "Keys." he said holding out his hand expectantly. Mis pointed to the key rack on the wall, he went over to retrieve them then walked to the back door.

"Thanks Missy, I'll wash it before you have to drive." he shouted as he ran out the door. Mis finished up her breakfast, and decided to pour herself a second cup of coffee. Her mom sat down beside her, and began eating.

"Where's June? shouldn't she be awake yet?" Mis asked conversationally.

"She already had breakfast and left for California at four." her mother replied while doing her crossword puzzle.

"Oh, yeah." Mis mumbled. The room grew quiet, except for the soft rustle of the newspaper.

Mis and her mother stayed in a comfortable silence, her mother doing her puzzle, while Mis sipped her coffee. Having finished her breakfast and coffee, Mis decided it was time to truly start the day. She went back into her room, and threw on a pair of  
yoga pants, her clockwork orange T-shirt, and started to organize her books. Her room was small, and yellow, with none of the normal posters or knick knacks one would normally find in a 17 year old's bedroom. She had one priority for her room: that  
it store as many books as humanly possible… her priority was met. She had four large black bookcases that her father had built custom for her to reach from floor to ceiling.

She collected antique books, first editions, signed copies, and she loved them; their intricate illustrations, thick glossy paper, and the knowledge that they had been more places than she had. Some of her book had lived more interesting live than she,  
a fact that both fascinated and irritated her. On more than one occasion, it had been explained to her that she could make "some serious moola" if she ever decided to sell them, she never dignified such suggestions with responses, other than perhaps  
a look of annoyance.

While dusting her third bookshelf, she felt her heart pick up for no readily available reason. The charge in the air made itself known again, and it felt heavy. She felt her skin prickle, and her eyes grew wider, she was frozen in place. Her heart beat  
almost painfully hard, reverberating in her ribs and lungs. She felt a numbness begin to trickle through her limbs, as though they could feel danger and were preparing for a fight. Three soft knocks on her bedroom door, made her jump slightly, and  
she shook her head in an attempt to regain some composure.

"Yeah?" she said her voice sounding high, and tentative to her ears.

The door opened, and her father walked. She felt her tension dissolve like sugar in coffee at seeing his wrinkle mapped face, and dark eyes gaze around the room. After his assessment he gave her an approving look at her choice of activity.

"I was starting to get worried, it's been nearly a week since you organized the archives." He said, the only thing giving away his good humor being the small crows feet crinkling at the corner of his eyes.

"Yeah, I figured it was time, wouldn't want them to start feeling neglected." she replied seriously, her tone matching his and her eyes bright.

"So, Missy, I've got a project for you." he said clapping his hands together, and motioning for her to follow him to the kitchen. She knew from past experience her father's words didn't bode well, generally the "projects" in the past had consisted of  
some sort of organization or cleaning task. The project last week had been sorting through the tin shed outside. Separating the things worth keeping, throwing away, and donating would have been an undesirable task at any time of year, but having to  
do it in the Arizona summer had been particularly heinous. What with carrying and inspecting the boxes contents, and her carful avoidance of spiders and other black crawling things. Within twenty minutes her hair was stuck to her bright red cheeks.  
Within an hour, she had become deranged by the soul wilting heat as well as the righteous anger that the bubbled in her chest at being the sole contributor to this thankless task.

She followed her father outside her room with crossed arms, poorly hidden annoyance evident in her purposeful gait. Her father sat down at the kitchen table where he had a cup of coffee, and the paper. Her mother was at the sink doing the dishes from  
breakfast and humming pleasantly. He motioned for her to have a seat.

"You don't have to glare, Mis. I think you'll actually like this project." Her father said, causing her stance to softened minutely. She slowly lowered herself onto the kitchen table bench, her eyes still narrowed slightly in suspicion. "So, you remember  
Mrs. Weber? She used to babysit for you, she was a friend of grandma's." Her father said, waving his hands in a circular motion as if that would somehow waft the memories into her brain.

Mis gave a snort, "Of course I remember that old bat, she taught me how to do that water witch thing, you know with a forked branch or whatever. Jesus Christ, she must be clinging to life with a white knuckle grip." Mis said, genuinely impressed that  
the woman was still alive.

"Language." her mother said in exasperation, turning around with her hands on her hips to shoot Mis a glare. Her father chuckled at Mis being reprimanded before looking serious again.

"She needs someone to go over and keep her company a couple times a week." her father said hesitantly. Mis narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"Wait, why me? She has a kid, right? why won't her son take care of her old person loneliness?" Mis asked, her tone a mixture of confusion and irritation.

"Well, apparently he just got remarried and moved to Maine a few weeks ago. I ran into Mrs. Weber at the market yesterday, she seemed pretty depressed, and I think it would be good for her… and you, if you were to go over there and offer a little companionship  
for her. I mean…You've hardly gone anywhere this summer." her father said, attempting to look innocent while taking a sip of coffee. Mis gave her father a look of indignation, and said with a level voice.

"So you told her that I would go over and listen to her stories about the great depression, and how she had to walk two miles to school, uphill both ways, barefoot in the snow." Mis made a look of mock interest "…or maybe I could ask her what dinosaur  
she rode in on?" She said with false enthusiasm.

"Mis." her father said warningly. She raised her eyebrows innocently. "I didn't even hint to her that I was gonna send you to keep her company, but it would be a very kind thing for you to do, and it'd be good for her and…"

Mis cut her father off "…Yeah, and me, because nothing's better for a teenage recluse than an older than sin, batshit crazy recluse"

Mis's mother turned from the sink to glare at her, gave a long suffering sigh at her choice of verbiage, and her father gave her a stern look but then winked when her mother turned back around. Mis smiled softly, knowing she had lost. In truth, she didn't  
mind Mrs. Weber at all, the old woman had always been very sweet to her, which was apparently out of the old woman's norm. She remembered her sister June complaining about Mrs. Weber's lack of filter on more than one occasion, and her brother frequently  
commenting on her peculiar smell.

"It's like if rotten sea water and mint tea had a child." he had said after mowing her lawn one day.

Despite the fact that Mis wasn't thrilled about leaving her newly purchased books, and the organization of said books, she still felt a little happy about getting out of the house, even if it was only to see an elderly, slightly deranged older woman.

"Ryan, took my car…" Mis said.

"You've got a bike." her mother said, putting away the dishes, and giving her a look that said 'try and test me'.

"Fine, but if I melt before I get there…" Mis started.

"I'll give away your worldly possessions per the request of your will, and live out the rest of my life in guilt ridden misery." her mother finished with a smile in her voice.

"As long as we're on the same page." Mis said with a smirk.

Mis went into her room, threw on a pair of grey jeans, and a dark green tank. She then brushed her wavy, shoulder length, dark brown hair, attempting to force it's fluffiness into submission. She opted for a French braid with a few loose strands to frame  
her heart shaped face. Mis knew she shouldn't care about applying makeup; she was just going to see Mrs. Weber, but she enjoyed it. Mis liked to be attractive, and although she knew her looks weren't movie starlet beautiful, she knew what features  
she liked about her face and enjoyed highlighting them.

She had a sweet, peaches and cream complexion, and dark hazel eyes that held laughter and mischief. Her face had no hard lines, just gentle curves, and those who knew her moderately well said it was an innocent face that was trustworthy; however, those  
who truly knew her, often loved to comment on the irony of such an impish mind being behind such a sweet face. _Face of a hobbit and the mind of a Slytherin_ , she liked to think. After a applying a little mascara, some brown eye liner, and pale  
pink lip balm, she felt that she was pretty enough to face the world outside her home.

After getting the directions to Mrs. Weber's house from her father, she kissed both her parents goodbye while slipping on her backpack, her mother warning her against course language in front of the elderly. Although it was June, and the Arizona summer  
was beginning to make the Phoenix air thick and syrupy, there was a nice breeze as Mis rode her bike the two miles to Mrs. Weber's house. She arrived mostly un-withered. The exercise had made her cheeks rosy and her eyes bright, even though her hair  
had become a little feral looking. Dismounting her bike, she leaned in against the side of the bright blue house that was Mrs. Weber's. It had stained glass windows, reflecting the noon sun, with a multitude of furiously overgrown rose bushes below  
them. There was a massive pecan tree in the front yard, and its leaves flowed softly in the breeze, giving blinking shade to the neighborhood cats that reclined under it.

Mis knelt down, clicking her tongue and reached her hand out in an effort to coax one closer. A large smoky grey tomcat took her bait, and trotted over to her, first sniffing her hand hesitantly, then butting his soft, fuzzy head against it. She pet him  
for a moment, talking in high-pitched cat gibberish to him, then felt a presence behind her. Standing quickly, she turned around and came face to face with a small leathery old woman in a baby pink house dress.

"You've met Tommy, he's the man of the neighborhood, loves to be near pretty girls." said Mrs. Weber in a pleasant, if slightly raspy smokers voice.

"Yeah, I bet you don't let him in the house, it seems his ego couldn't fit through the door." said Mis as Tommy purred and wove through her legs.

"Very true, plus he's got quite a temper when he gets himself worked up." Mrs. Weber said with an amused glint in her cloudy blue eyes. Mis gave a soft laugh, and knelt down to pet Tommy some more.

"I didn't expect you for a couple more days, Artemis, you're early." Mrs. Weber commented, and Mis gave her a look that feigned interest, but in truth, she was slightly concerned by that statement.

"Worry not, though, I'm nothing if not prepared." the old woman said, waving Mis into the house. Hiding her confusion, Mis followed after Mrs. Weber's crooked gait into the dim house, shutting the door behind her. The first thing she noticed was the fractured  
gold and red, stained-glass sunlight painting itself on the dark wood floors. The dusty air was thick and pressurized, and Mis felt constricted and sluggish in her movements the moment she closed the door.

"You'll get used to the heaviness, after a moment or two, Artemis." The old woman said.

"Um, ok." Mis said in a wary tone, "But…uh…why? Like what? Is happening?" Mis said intelligently.

"Use your words, dear, I know it seems strange here, but I promise you'll get used to it." she said patiently while Mis stood frozen. "Come on into the kitchen, and we can talk."

Mis gave a grunt of acceptance, dropped her backpack on the floor, and followed the old woman. The house was interesting, with many things to look at. The heaviness became more bearable as Mis walked through it, and she began to take in her surroundings.  
It was similar to how she remember it as a small child, like an antique shop, with curio cabinets full of colorful blown glass, and old toys that would cause modern day parents concern for all their wooden removable parts. Nation Geographic magazines,  
yellowed newspapers, and ancient looking books covered every available flat surface, including the floor. The walls were painted a deep maroon, with ornately carved gold crown and base molding. As a child, she had not felt the house to be claustrophobic,  
and her younger had self liked it when she had compared it to her own house that was filled with bright colors, and a distinctly upbeat feeling to it. To her this house had seemed more dark and peaceful.

Mis sat down at the steel diner table in the kitchen, and waited silently as Mrs. Weber made tea before setting out a plate of peanut butter cookies. The girl began feeling a little awkward as the silence began to press harder on her ears. Finally, Mrs.  
Weber sat down, sliding over a cup of black tea towards Mis. The old woman fixed her curious eyes on Mis, as though searching and calculating her being.

"Well." said Mrs. Weber, with a clipped business tone, "you're not happy… I mean in life." Mis opened her mouth, gearing up to refute such an accusation, but was cut off by the old woman's frail hand wave.

"I don't have time for you to argue, I know what you'll say, and I'm not buying any bullshit your selling, mmmkay?" The old woman said impatiently.

"Fine, what's the difference though? millions of people are unhappy." said Mis with a small, resigned voice, "I'm living in a way that I enjoy well enough, my family is happy, that makes me happy. I'm content with where I am and where I'm headed, and  
I have my books for when I feel discontented." Mis said, gripping the hot mug of tea in her lap.

"I'm gonna give you something, it's a gift. It was given to me a long time ago, and I've been waiting for someone to give it to." Mrs. Weber said.

Mis gave the old woman a suspicious look.

"Ok, Morpheus, tell me about the red pill." She said sarcastically. "Wrong story, but you've got the right idea." said the old woman with an appreciative look and a soft chuckle.

"I don't have much time to explain, but if I said I could give you the opportunity to change whatever story you wanted, would you accept that opportunity?"

Mis was beginning to feel that electric buzz at the edge of her mind again. A dense charge in the air, that caused her muscles to prepare for a fight or flight situation.

"I don't know, it would depend on how much emotional injustice the story in question had caused me." Mis deadpanned, her head throbbing.

"A Presence has been watching you for a long time Artemis, it has many names, its form changes but it will always fight for power and control over others." Up until this point, life had proven to Mis, that people that sounded crazy were, and anything  
could be explained away with some sharp logic and reason. However, now as this electric buzz began to prick around her body malevolently, she found herself somehow willing to believe in something unexplainable. She had never had any adventures, and  
if there was the slightest chance this crazy, wrinkled, old bat could offer such a thing to her…She intended to take it.

"Alright, I'm in, do I have a mission or something? Where am I going? What story will I be changing? Who will be at the mercy of my cutting wit?" She said, a slightly wild look in her eyes as she threw her own logic down the drain.

"The wizarding world of Harry Potter is your first stop…" the old women said calmly, with a look of approval at Mis' positive reaction. There were several moments of dead air as Mis tried to understand what she'd just been told. Mis gasped in realization.

"Jesus Christ Bananas, this is gonna be amazing! Goddamn, I can't wait to give that crusty old bastard Dumbledoor a taste of the bitterness I have every time I read his bastard name, on each bastard page in the deathly freakin' hollows." Mis said jumping  
out of her chair and waving her arms around wildly. The young girl suddenly froze

"I swear to God, and every martyr…you better put me in the fifth book" said Mis building steam, "I can't handle Sirius dying, I won't allow it. I don't care if I have to cast a permanent sticking charm between us I won't…"

"You won't be able to perform magic." Mrs. Weber cut her off, and Mis seemed to deflate entirely.

"Why the hell not?" Mis said putting her hand on her hips, gaining back energy through indignation. "How in Merlin's name am I going to do anything without magical abilities, I'll be helpless, you'd just send in a Muggle?! With Voldemort prancing 'round  
like the billowy bitch that he is, Avada Kadavra-ing everyone in sight." She exclaimed, clearly appalled.

"You're not a part of that world, you won't be able to do magic, but that also means it won't affect you. The 'billowing bitch' as you so aptly named him, can fire every form of dark magic your way and it cannot harm you. You'll be able to see though  
magical enchantments, as well." The old woman said putting her hand out in front of her, as if trying to coax a spooked horse. Mis lifted one eyebrow, and froze her hand in place as it was flailing over her head.

"Well, that's…gonna be fun" Mis said with a sweet smile and an impish glint in her dark eyes.

"Now." Mis said sitting back down in her chair and moving it closer to where Mrs. Weber sat. "I have two more questions, what am I going to change, and…why in pluperfect fuck am I the one who has to go?" Mis said giving the old woman a sharp look. Mrs.  
Weber gave a sweet knowing smile, and placed a wrinkled hand on Mis' knee.

"You can change whatever you want, I'm gifting you the ability to consult Tom Riddle to victory if you so desire, I don't think you will, that's why I'm sending you." The old woman removed her hand, to take a sip of her tea, and said softly "That, and  
you've got an evil presence latched onto you, remember the one with many names... I'm sending you to one of his domains, to meet him on his field. I could teach you how to get rid of him here…but what's the fun in that?" Mrs. Weber said nonchalantly,  
setting her steaming mug back down. Mis closed her eyes, and put her head in her hands, suddenly feeling very small and overwhelmed. After a few moments she took out her phone from her back pocket, and noticed a text from her Mom, _Love you Missy, have fun_.

"I'll be able to come home when it's all over, right? I'm not gonna be exiled out of my own dimension or anything?" the young girl said, as she continued to look at the innocent text.

"Of course, Mis, you won't have to stay anywhere you don't want to." Said Mrs. Weber with a comforting arm on her shoulder, "but I can't promise you'll want to come home, and if you do you won't be the same."

Mis' head snapped up, "You stole that from The Hobbit. What's up old lady? Can't even send someone out on an inter-dimensional quest without jackin' some other wizard's inspirational, yet slightly ominous speech?" Said Mis with a smile in her voice.

"I guess not" the old woman said fondly.

"Ok, then." Mis jumped out of her chair and clapped her hands together excitedly, "I'm ready, beam me up." The old woman laughed and brought down out of the grey hair piled on top of her head, a pin with a gold rose which held in its center a softly luminescent  
pearl. Mis went and grabbed her backpack, stumbling in her haste to get back to the kitchen table.

"You've seen the Wizard of Oz? This pin works similarly to the ruby slippers." Mis made a noise, as if she was going to interrupt. "Please withhold all snarky comments, dear, you'll have plenty of time for that later." Mis closed her mouth, and waved  
her hand imperiously for the older woman to continue. "It will take you to where your heart wants to be." the old lady said simply, and slid the pin across the table to Mis. The young girl gave a wicked smile, and began to laugh manically like a melodramatic  
villain. She was abruptly cut off by a coughing fit.

"Note to self, work on devious laughter." She muttered to herself.

"We'll be in touch." said the old lady with a wink. Mis picked up the pin, and ran her finger along the edge of the rose's delicate gold petals. She felt the electric presence purr dangerously beside her, and Mis smiled. She felt a small bittersweet tug  
in her heart, if it were possible for nostalgia to have a physical feeling it would be that gentle pull. She closed her eyes, and she felt as though a warm hand was softly griping her heart and lungs, leading her to take a step forward. Unafraid,  
she did as she was bidden, and immediately regretted it. She felt herself falling, the hand around her heart was gone, and it left her feeling cold and empty as she continued to fall. The air rushed like a vicious river past her ears, and her limbs  
were whipped around her helplessly.

A moment later she felt her feet planted on soft, uneven ground. Breathing heavily, she opened her eyes. Stretched out before her was a misty landscape and a lake the color of tar in the fading light of the sun, and she heard the forest rustle all around  
her. She turned around, and saw it. A massive stone castle, glowing and twinkling like a welcoming candle against the darkening sapphire sky. Mis felt her heart stutter at its bold relief on the canvas of darkness that surrounded it. She smiled fondly _Yeah, ya think just because you didn't send me an acceptance letter, that was gonna stop me from coming. Think again, Hogwarts._


	2. Meeting Some Professors

**Authors Note: Ok, so this is the second chapter in this silly story, I hope y'all enjoy it. Also, just for the record, I', not sure if Mis will have a serious love interest, she's gonna be a huge flirt and she likes autonomy. But hey, anything could happen.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter franchise, and I never will.**

 **Also, Thanks to Ellis1 for being my first ever follower, Bleeding Blue Kunoichi for reviewing and following, and the guest who left a review (whoever you may be). Y'all really made me smile.**

 **Chapter 2: Meeting Some Professors**

Mis walked along the darkened lakeside, breathing in the smell of murky lake water and pine trees as if it were the most wonderful air she had ever breathed. It couldn't have been below 65 degrees, but the wind bit into her skin with frosty teeth. _My desert blood isn_ _'_ _t made for this_ she thought humorlessly while shrugging off her backpack to retrieve the ASU sun devils hoodie she always kept inside. _How serendipitous_ she thought, smiling to herself as she slipped on the maroon and gold jacket.

She walked through the darkening school grounds, attempting to find a clear path towards the warmly glowing castle. Except for the soft padding of her sneakered feet on the grassy earth, and the occasional mournful hoot of an owl, it was silent. After a time, she made it to a dirt road with fresh hoof prints indented in the gravel, as well as what she assumed were wheel tracks from the thesteral carriages. There were old fashioned lamp lights, casting a sickly flickering glow on her skin, and she found herself suddenly feeling a little wary. _Just because magic can_ _'_ _t affect me, doesn_ _'_ _t mean I can_ _'_ _t be mauled by some giant, hairy creature_ she thought, darting her eyes around the black tree line. Feeling a little nervous, she sped up her pace, and clutched her backpack straps tighter in her hands.

"Stop. Right. There." drawled a low voice behind her, and she didn't need to look around to chance a guess at who it was, she could practically taste the disdain lacing the command. She turned around to see a tall silhouette with long black robes with a shockingly pale face glaring at her. His wand was drawn, pointed rigidly at her chest. Mis raised her hands slowly giving a tentative smile.

"Hi there professor Snape, fancy seeing you here." she bubbled "I was just walking, enjoying the solemn silver glow of the moon, making my way to the castle. I've got some business with Dumbledore, or rather _for_ him." She said sweetly. Snape continued to glare at her with suspicion, and didn't pocket his wand.

"Who are you?" He said menacingly, and took a few steps closer to where she stood, "…and what is an American doing here, knowing my name."

She lowered her hands despite his still threatening pose, and ran her fingers through the loose strands of her braided dark hair with a soft sigh.

"You know." she said holding her first finger up. "That's actually a very existential question, and its one I would love to answer. However, it's dark out here, and I don't mind saying, I'm thoroughly creeped out by what I _can_ _'t_ see in the distant forest gloom. So I'm going to avoid answering your questions until I am safe and out of this goddamned frigid Scottish air." Snape looked at her as though she were some sort of particularly interesting herb, or whatever it is potion masters find interesting.

"Very well, Miss…" he said waiting for her name, and stowing his wand away crisply.

"Nice try, but you got part of it right. I'm not saying anything until I'm out of this…"

"Goddamned frigid Scottish air, yes." Snape he said cutting her off with a wave of his hand, and impatience in his voice. With that, they began walking in silence toward the castle.

Mis was never one to let lack of conversation get to her. She was one to let things lie when necessary. However, walking next to Snape now, she felt an uncharacteristic need to fill the dense quite that had descended around them. Knowing who he was, and all the cruelty and pain he had experienced made her feel protective of him, especially now as he walked beside her. She wanted to be this man's friend, and perhaps even make him smile. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and knew he would be a damn near impossible nut to crack. This thought didn't deter her, however, this was the whole reason why she was in this world. To make a positive impact, bring a little more light into these troubled people's lives, and hopefully reduce the collateral damage of Snake Face's ego trip.

"Love the look you've got going on here." Mis said gesturing to his dark robes, "…it says 'I'm stealthy like the night, but still appreciate a touch of the theatrical', it's really not an easy line to dance." Mis said conversationally, glancing at Snape to see if she had gotten any reaction out of him. She hadn't, he was completely impassive.

"I try." he said in a low, humorless voice, not looking at her.

'Did…did he just joke… was that a joke?' she thought a little shocked. She said nothing in reply, as she began to feel very optimistic in her mission. It certainly wasn't a joke for a normal person, but for this bitter man, it must mean something.

She avoiding any more conversation after that, not wanting to push her luck and piss Snape off with inane jabbering, so she continued on in silence until they reached the ominous black steel gate. A heap of large trunks lay just behind it, as well as two figurers who seemed to be arguing. As Mis and Snape drew closer, she noticed one had short blond hair that practically glowed, in the dim lamp light. The Slytherin prince was taller than she had expected, and wearing a well tailored black suit.

"It's not a cane, you idiot, it's a walking stick." he said in an imperious voice holding up a dark 'walking stick' with a silver snake head. He waved it in front of Filch's face, and made a classic trust fund baby noise of indignation.

 _This should be fun_ Mis thought darkly.

"Well, I don't think those two things are mutually exclusive. Hey, though if it helps you to make a distinction between the two, who am I to differ?" Mis said as she began walking toward the two men, making sure her head was held high and her gait was confident. Draco Malfoy's head snapped over to her, gave her a once over then turned to Snape with an incredulous look on his face.

"Who is this?" he asked, thrusting the cane in her direction, breeching her personal space. Mis simply took the end pointed at her and slowly moved it away from the general area of her face.

"Just a stranger in a strange land, you know? like Moses." She answered for herself. "'Sup Filch, how's Mrs. Norris?" She said nonchalantly, nodding towards Filch before reaching her hand out to Draco for a handshake. The young man looked to be having some sort of painful internal struggle as he looked down at her small hand held out in greeting. After a tense few seconds, Draco took her hand and shook it.

She felt a little jolt in her stomach, because she was a red-blooded female, and his hand was warm and soft. It also didn't hurt that he towered over her own 5 feet 2 inches, and his hair would make boy band members envious. She smiled brightly, and released his hand and turned to look at Snape, who looked a little dumbfounded at the display. Mis cleared her throat a little nervously at the silence that she seemed to have caused.

"Professor Snape." she said pleasantly, "I would be immensely grateful if you were to point me in the direction of the headmaster's office…"

"If you are capable of containing yourself for half a second… I will take you myself, I think. Who knows what could happen if you were to be set loose upon this ancient institution." Snape said, holding a hand up to stop her speaking. She didn't miss a beat.

"You flatter me too much" she said doing her best impression of a southern belle, complete with fluttering eyelashes and a simpering smile. Snape looked at her with obvious annoyance, then billowed to where Filch stood, hauling Draco with him. They spoke in hushed tones that Mis couldn't catch, despite her best eavesdropping efforts.

It was dark at the entrance, and the air was growing colder, she shivered as the wind rushed through her thin jacket. The three men were acting like Arab traders haggling over a rug, so eventually the young girl lost interest, and instead fixed her gaze on the dark road beyond the still open castle gate. Up until this point, she hadn't thought to question at what time frame Mrs. Weber had sent her. But now seeing two people walk from the darkened road into the slightly brighter yellow glow of the lamp light, past the luggage pile, she saw one masculine figure with a hand held up to an apparently bleeding nose, and a girl with long pale blonde hair. She suddenly felt a wave of recognition.

 _No_ she thought _it'_ _s sixth year, that old bat sent me to sixth year_ Mis' brain whirled, as she tried to understand what was happening. Sirius was already dead, she had no opportunity to save him, and there was nothing to be done. An unexpected wave of grief left her slightly dizzy, and her vision began to blur. _Why am I here_ she thought as her mind made an unsuccessful attempt to perceive her new predicament. _I'_ _m in a goddamn Harry Potter book, and here he comes now, The-Boy-Who-Lived_. Mis's vision started to swim before her, rippling and undulating like heat waves before her eyes. The last thing she thought before she fell to the ground with solid thump was _That old bitch_ , and then she knew no more.

She awoke to the sound of low urgent voices, but she couldn't really find the desire to care who they belonged to. There was a dull throb in her head, and a disgusting taste in her mouth, not unlike lemon cough syrup. She was made aware of the fact that she was lying in a small, uncomfortably thin cot, when a renegade spring decided to go Brutus on her, i.e. stab her in the back. She shifted her back and legs stiffly, her eyes still closed. Her feet (which were still contained within her converse) were caught in the clean white linens folded on the bed, and after a moment of trying to maneuver her way out of them soundlessly, she became childishly frustrated and thrashed her legs up and down like a fussy toddler, eventually kicking them to the ground.

"Is there something wrong Miss?" said a kind voice that seemed to contain an old genial smile in the way that it rose and fell. Mis' eyes snapped open, and sat up in bed. She was slightly embarrassed by her silly tantrum, but unwilling to show it.

"The blanket assaulted me, no doubt trying to have it's way with me. I tried to explain I only go for silks and satins, but he was just one tenacious bastard." She deadpanned, her eyes blinking in an attempt to adjust to the bright light of what she assumed was the hospital wing. She heard a soft chuckle. After a few moments her vision cleared and adjusted to the comforting warm glow of the room, she was leaning back on her forearms as she took in the people before her.

Snape stood closest to her bed, stiff and dangerous looking in his long black robes. His hair reached to his jawline like thick unwashed and neglected curtains that hid most of his thin pale face from her view; however his coal black eyes held hers without wavering, and seemed hell bent on reading something in her own guarded hazel ones. She wondered if perhaps he was attempting to preform legillimancy on her. _Nice try,_ she thought hiding a smirk, though she was certain that her amusement flickered in her eyes for a moment, before she reigned it in. He seemed deeply spiteful at her mirth, which only made it harder for her to keep a straight face.

Beside Snape, she saw an older, hawkish looking woman wearing velvety robes of deep burgundy. Her posture was not as menacing, and in fact, Mis detected a bit of almost motherly concern in her face and stance, though most of it was smothered by a look of stern wariness. Her brown hair had streams of silver running through it and was piled high on her head in a tight Victorian bun. _Obviously professor McGonagall_ she thought to herself, and felt a gentle fondness in her heart at the sight of the woman.

Then taking in the last figure, she felt a rush of various emotions at the sight of Albus Dumbledore, not all of them entirely pleasant. The old man stood there, in pale lavender robes, his hands clasped loosely behind his back, his long grey beard tucked into an ornately embellished black leather belt. The deep wrinkles of his face seemed to contain nothing more than mild interest, however, looking into the old man's eyes she noticed how they twinkled and practically crackled with intense curiosity, and perhaps a touch of suspicion.

No one spoke, the professors just stood and stared at her.

"So…" Mis said, breaking the silence ."My name is Artemis Holtzer, and needless to say I'm not really from around here." She said standing up out of her bed, and feeling a little dizzy in the processes.

"Miss Holtzer, would you care to explain what it is you're doing here? Professor Snape said you had business with me, though I don't believe we've ever had the pleasure of meeting." Dumbledore said, his voice kind and inquisitive. Mis had many things she wanted to say to the old coot, after reading the 7th book when she was fourteen she had felt entirely disillusioned with the twinkle eyed professor. She knew however, that if she wanted to truly be of service and gain the trust of these people, she would have to, at least initially, reign in her acid tongue.

"Well Albus, can I call you Albus? I've been made aware of the struggle of the wizarding world for many years, most of my life if you want to get technical. It has come to my attention that you have, or perhaps I should say 'will', barely succeed in your mission in defeating Tommy Riddle, or Snake Face as I prefer to call him, and I am here to offer counsel in order to reduce the overall collateral damage that this war will inevitably cause." Mis made sure to hold her head up and keep her posture straight as she spoke to them in a clear business like voice.

Dumbledore gave Mis an appraising look.

"Perhaps we should continue this conversation in at a more secure location." He said softly "But first I must ask you for your wand, my dear, just to be safe." The old man said, seemingly regretful as he held out his slender hand expectantly.

"Well, I would, but…" Mis started.

"I suggest you do as the headmaster requested, girl." Snape said, his wand which he had retrieved silently was trained threateningly, once again, at her chest. Dumbledore gave Snape a warning look

"Severus, please…" the old man said with an exasperated sigh.

"For all we know this girl could be in league with the Dark Lord, she was just about to refuse giving up her wand. That's hardly the action of an innocent girl, who offers us her, no doubt, brilliant counsel." Snape said with a sneer. Without taking his eyes away from Mis, he moved closer to her, lithe as a serpent cornering a field mouse. Mis just crossed her arms, waiting for him to finish his little paranoid rant.

"Are you done? May I be permitted to finish my sentence? Or will I have to wait until you've gotten this whole 'bad cop' interrogation thing out of your system?" She queried, knowing she was being a smartass, and feeling entirely unapologetic about it. Mis met his challenging stare, and considered she may be acting a little too abrasive. She never dealt well with people talking down to her, and although she had expected Snape to be patronizing, she'd be damned if she was gonna take it from anyone, even if it was her favorite snarky potions master.

"Don't test me, girl. I won't hesitate to hex you into next…" Snape started in a dangerously low voice.

"That is quite enough Severus." Dumbledore interjected, insinuating himself between the two stubborn people. Mis peeked around the old man's body, to childishly shoot Snape one last death glare while fighting down the desire to stick her tongue out at him. After a moment she regained her composure with a small huff, and Snape stowed his wand away.

"I'm sorry for calling you a paranoid idiot, and being disrespectful, Professor Snape." she said sincerely, stepping out from behind the old man with her hands up in surrender.

Snape looked a little shocked at her sudden change in tact.

"You didn't call me a paranoid idiot." He commented confusedly.

Mis blew a loose strand of hair out of her face, "Well, then I'm sorry for thinking it." she said waving her hand dismissively. With that, Dumbledore turned to face the young girl.

"Your wand please." he said in a voice that was stern but held a bit of amusement.

"I don't have one, I'm not a witch." Mis said, glancing at the shocked faces of Snape and McGonagall, before bumping her hand against her leg self-consciously.

"The plot thickens." the old man said, after a pause.

"Then how, in Merlin's name, were you able to avoid the schools wards, and muggle repelling charms?" McGonagall asked speaking up for the first time, sounding miffed and fascinated in equal measure.

"The person who sent me here said magic would have no influence on me, meaning I'm able to breach magical wards, see past illusions, and although I haven't tested it I'm assuming I cannot be killed by magic, though I'm sure you'd understand my reluctance to test that." Mis explained.

"Fascinating." Dumbledore said appreciatively, beginning to pace slowly and absently stroking his long fluffy beard. After a moment, the old man turned to Mis.

"Please follow me to my office Miss Holtzer, we will be more able to discuss your claims in there, away from the ever listening ears of this school. Severus, if you will accompany me, Minerva I would appreciate it if you could make sure everything is not in shambles in the great hall." The Headmaster swept his arm gallantly, beaconing for Mis to follow. She grabbed her backpack and followed him after glancing at McGonagall, who looked rather annoyed at having been excluded from the group. Snape's face held no emotion other than his patented look of indifference as he followed behind Mis and Dumbledore as they exited the hospital wing to the warm colored stone halls of the castle.

Being within the halls of Hogwarts, and seeing the high ceilings covered in portraits, who incidentally looked at Mis with unbridled curiosity, was a very surreal experience. She stared in awe at the large, slowly moving white marble stairs above her head, and was filled with a strange contentment. This place was already so familiar to her, and she felt herself smiling softly as she gazed around at the castle that she had imagined since childhood. She turned to look at Dumbledore as she walked alongside him, and found him staring down at her kindly.

"Wait until you see the great hall, my dear." he said and winked at her, her heart was too buoyant to hold on to her grudge for the old man at that moment, so she smiled at him, a smile so full of pure childlike wonder that the old man chuckled fondly, and beamed right back at her. She turned to look back behind her, that smile still on her face, and saw Snape walking briskly behind them with his dark robes fluttering around himself, and a curiously pleasant expression on his face that vanished the moment she caught sight of it. She couldn't help it, she let go a small giggle at his attempt at indifference as she turned back around. She'd get him, that much she was certain, she'd rip a smile out of him if it was the last thing she did.

After several minutes of walking in silence, they came to nook with a large gargoyle statue nestled into it. Mis recognized it as the entrance to the headmaster's office.

"Acid pops." the headmaster told the gargoyle pleasantly, causing the statue to turn and reveal an ascending spiral staircase. The old man gestured for Mis to go first, which she did, nodding politely at him. She waited on the top step as the stairs rose and reached a large, intricately carved cherry wood door which swung open at her arrival. She stepped through, and again felt a strange sense of nostalgia at the sight of the fantastically cluttered office. She seemed to lose herself slightly as she gazed at all the beautiful glass ornaments, and peculiar whirling contraptions, not to mention the giant bookcases filled with brightly colored tomes and scrolls.

A gentle throat clearing brought her back to the current situation. She noticed Dumbledore had already seated himself at the incredibly disorganized, light wood desk with Snape standing stiffly to his right, looking excessively batlike. Dumbledore gestured wordlessly, requesting that she take a seat, which she did.

"Lemon drop, dear?" the old man asked once she was seated, holding out a crystal dish with vivid yellow candies inside.

"Thanks." she said, reaching forward to get one and popping it into her mouth.

"Well." said Dumbledore "I think a little inquiry is in order. How can you prove to me that your information is true?" the old man said, fixing her with his unwavering, bright blue eyes.

"There is no way I can persuade you to believe my claims to know the future, so perhaps, I'll start with my knowledge of the past." Mis said, looking to Snape, certain that what she was about to say would piss him off immensely. Her hazel eyes met his own black ones, and she saw a flicker of apprehension in there inky depths.

"I know why you turned spy for The Order, Snape." Mis said hesitantly, yet still meeting his stare. A shadow passed over the man's pale face, and she was sorry that she had put it there. "I know about Lily Potter." Mis said softly, as if that would lessen blow. She wanted them to be certain that she knew, Snape quickly turned away and walked towards the window. She knew that there was no other way for them to be sure of her knowledge, still she felt regret like a sharp cold knife in her heart at having caused pain.

"As for me being immune to magic, I suggest we test it now… in the interest of science. Though I would be grateful if you didn't test me with something painful, just in case my own information is faulty." She said in a subtle attempt to lighten the heavy mood that had descended like fog at the mention of Lily Potters name. Dumbledore cleared his throat, apparently in an attempt to shake off the shock he was, no doubt, feeling.

"Very well, Miss Holtzer. If you'll stand with me a moment." Mis did as she was bidden, and the old man walked around his desk to stand in front of her. He took out his wand, _the elder wand_ she thought with a little jolt in her stomach. She gave nothing away in her face, and reasoned that that would be a conversation for another day.

"I think, perhaps I'll first attempt to transfigure your hair, a simple color change, then if that proves impossible, I shall try a stinging hex. Is this acceptable to you, Miss Holtzer?" Dumbledore said kindly. Mis stood straight, and confident.

"Hit me." she said nodding determinedly, unwilling to show nervousness while looking down the business end of Dumbledore's wand. He gave her a small smile, and flicked his wand at her head. Nothing happened. Mis gave a little sigh, and Dumbledore took a step back and motioned for her to do the same.

"I'm going to cast a stinging jinx at you now." the old man said. Mis nodded, and watched warily as Dumbledore, again, flicked his wand. A blue jet of light shot out of the tip and, acting on instinct, Mis closed her eyes and covered her head with her maroon and gold jacketed arms, praying she wouldn't feel anything. She didn't, and Dumbledore looked fascinated. "I've never seen anything like it. Severus, come here." The man who had been staring out the large window, turned slowly and walked to Dumbledore's side. "Watch this." the old man said excitedly, flicking his wand as another jet of blue light flew towards Mis' chest, she didn't flinch this time, but instead observed how the light seemed to just be absorbed into her.

"Take that Newton! Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, my sainted aunt." Mis said enthusiastically, thoroughly pleased that she had felt no pain.

Dumbledore sent several more jets of light her way, each a different color and density. Each spell was absorbed into her skin, and after a moment she became aware of a strange sort of intuition whenever the light touched her. She found that she could tell what was supposed to happen, a jet of purple light and she thought her legs were supposed to turn to jelly, blue and she sense she should be stung, yet physically she felt nothing.

Dumbledore seemed to be enjoying himself immensely, firing of spell after spell, like a child throwing pebbles in a pond. Snape place a hand on the old man's shoulder, stopping him mid cast.

"May I?" Snape raising one eyebrow at the young girl.

"Knock yourself out." she said in quiescence, giving a mock bow with her arms held out at her sides. He had a vicious glint in his eyes as he waved his wand in several aggressive slashing movements that caused red light to be striped through the air and propelled to her body where it was absorbed harmlessly.

"Hey!" she said appalled, knowing what spell he had used. He ceased his movements, and she stalked over to him angrily. "What the hell was that, Freddy Kruger?" she said putting her hands on her hips and giving him a death glare "Don't you dare use that sectumsempra bullshit on me. I take back the compliment about your robes…" she paused "Jerk." She spat finally, as if that were the worst name anyone could be called.

Snape looked down at her, and gave her the tiniest of smirks.

"My apologies." he drawled. Mis narrowed her eyes at him, and turned around slowly to sit back down in the chair before the great cluttered desk huffily. "I believe you." Snape said, making her snap her head around to look at him "…but I still don't trust you, Holtzer." She nodded.

"Fair enough, Snape." she said with a small mischievous gleam in her eye.

"My dear, forgive me for my lack of hospitality, I imagine you'll be wanting food and a bed. We'll be happy to have you here, I think the castle will supply accommodations." The old man said kindly, breaking the silence. Mis suddenly realized just how tired she was.

"That would be wonderful, thank you, sir." she said with a grateful nod.

"I'll call a house elf to show you to your room. In the morning, I think there are some people who would be thrilled to make your acquaintance."

Mis nodded, and stifled a yawn in her arm.

"Oh, could you call Dobby… to show me to my room I mean?" Mis said, looking at Dumbledore hopefully.

"Of course" The old man replied. "Dobby." He called. There was an instant crack as the little elf appeared before them, looking quite dapper in a little yellow vest and green wool pants, with a pile of knitted hats resting on his head and floppy ears.

"Headmaster called for Dobby." the little elf squeaked proudly.

"This is Miss Artemis Holtzer, Dobby, she'll be staying at the castle for a while. Would you please escort her to the guest quarters in…I'm sorry, do you have a locational preference, my dear?" Dumbledore inquired, turning from the elf to look at her expectantly.

"Well." Mis said considering a moment. "I've always be a little more Slytherin than any other house, so how about near the dungeons? I'm also partial to the dark and quiet."

"Very well, please escort Miss Holtzer to the guest quarters just above the Slytherin common room. Have pleasant dreams, my dear, though I think the one you are living presently has you content enough to sleep dreamlessly." The old man said with a wink and a smile.

"Goodnight, Sir." she said, interested with his insightfulness. "Snape." she nodded in his direction, he nodded back.

"Missy, will please follow Dobby." the little elf said clasping his hands in front of himself and looking important.

"Yes, sir." she said with a smile. The elf looked at her with wide eyes, as Mis stuck out her hand "It is truly a pleasure to meet you _Mister_ Dobby." The elf took her hand and shook it tentatively. When she let go Dobby looked at Dumbledore.

"She called Dobby, Mister." the elf said dumbfounded.

"So she did." said the old man, twinkling at the girl in unabashed delight, the elf looked at her with a similar sentiment in his giant pale eyes.

With that, the elf picked up her back pack, took her hand and lead her out of the headmaster office. They spoke of trivial things all the way to the guest quarters, and though Mis was basically a zombie walking through the castle, she still found the little elf's conversation to be very enjoyable. She asked him about himself, and what he enjoyed doing. He asked her how she came to be here, and what her home was like, and if she missed it yet. Reaching the guest room she would be staying in, she thanked the elf profusely for his help, and denied that she would be needing anything else that evening. The elf disapperated with a small pop, and she walked into the room. She noticed nothing about it, as her eyes were fixed on the fluffy green four-poster bed. Mis flung off her jacket, jeans, and shoes, and was asleep before her head made contact with the pillow.


	3. A New Assistant

**Author's Note: I'd like to welcome the lurkers that I see on my traffic stats, and hope y'all are enjoying.**

 **Author's Note 2: Because I'm still in the market for a beta, I hope you'll forgive any grammatical and/or spelling errors. I don't think the mistakes are excessive, but I'm sure they're there despite my efforts to avoid them. :)**

 **Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own any part of the Harry Potter franchise.**

 **Chapter 3: An Assistant**

Mis awoke softly, the sun outside filtered through the massive gothic window and warmed the dark wood flooring of her room… it also beat down mercilessly on her closed eyelids. She stretched lazily, and searched for her phone before remembering where she was. When she did remember, her eyes shot open and she sat up in bed, taking in her designated room for the first time.

It had slightly somber feeling to it, there were dark grey stone walls, some had intricate tapestries hanging from them with forest scenes and dark cloudy skies that seemed to shift and sway as if they were windows instead of renderings. There was a large black wardrobe in one corner with a matching dresser that had various toiletries laid out on it. If it hadn't been for the merrily crackling fireplace, adding warmth and a pleasant glow to the room, the whole place would seem austere. Such as it was, however, Mis liked the room, her only real problem with it was the lack of books on the large dark bookshelf.

Mis smiled to herself with a gentle contentment as she stood up and walked over to and through the door she suspected lead to the restroom. Inside was a gleaming antique bathtub, sink, and toilet. Marble floors provided a nice contrast to the dark green walls, and a small window let in bright yellow sunlight on them, making them seem like a forest in summertime. She retrieved the toothbrush, toothpaste and comb placed out for her, as well as her back pack, then went back to the mirror.

She brushed her teeth and washed her face to rid herself of the mascara that had caused her to look like a deranged raccoon. She undid the braid in her hair, and was pleased to see that it came out in dark beachy waves, making her look a little wild but still presentable. Her skin held a nice rosy glow, so she decided against using any of the ivory foundation she had in her backpack. Instead she just applied a smudge of dark green eyeliner to make her eyes appear more olive colored, and a swipe of mascara. Satisfied with her appearance, Mis walked back into the bedroom, digging in her backpack to pull out her phone and check the time, '7:47' it read. She then shrugged on the pair of grey jeans she had discarded the previous night. She felt in the front pocket the pin that Mrs. Weber had given her, and decided that she had better put it in a more secure location.

As she was stuffing it into a trick pocket she had sewn on the inside of her backpack, she spied on the night table a small scroll of parchment. Seeing it addressed to her in an elegant slanting script she recognized as Dumbledore's, she unrolled it curiously.

 _Miss Holtzer,_

 _I do hope you had a pleasant rest and found your room to be satisfactory. I have taken the liberty of supplying you with several changes of clothes, you_ _'_ _ll find them in the dresser. I confess I do not keep myself abreast of muggle fashion, however, I have based my choices on what you were wearing on our first meeting, and hope they are acceptable to you. I_ _'_ _ve asked Professor Snape to escort you to the great hall at 8 o_ _'_ _clock, at which point I will, with your permission, introduce you to the school at large as a distant relation of Professor Snape, who shall be employed here as his apprentice/assistant, and has been recently orphaned. I hope you understand the need to keep the information (and abilities) you possess safe, if knowledge of either were to fall into the wrong hands, the results could be devastating._

 _In addition to this I have scheduled an Order meeting for 9 o_ _'_ _clock this evening, at which point we shall discuss your plans._

 _Yours_

 _Albus_

 _Couldn_ _'_ _t resist making me an orphan could he? What is it with this geezer and orphans?_ She thought in a mixture of amusement and irritation. _Already, he_ _'_ _s trying to marinate me in the secrecy that he_ _'_ _s lived in all his life, think again old man, I_ _'_ _ll acquiesce to this, but I_ _'_ _m gonna blow the lid off this Order meeting._

Deciding that perhaps she should change out of her old clothes, she went over to the dresser and sorted through her options. There were several pairs of jeans in black and light wash, as well as some cozy looking sweaters, plain t-shirts and tank tops all in vivid colors. All were classic looking and generally inoffensive, she couldn't complain, they all were in her size. Reaching the bottom drawer, however, gave her quite a fright. Inside there were various kinds of underwear, and several bras. Some were normal looking, some others however, were downright embarrassing to even look at.

Feeling a little faint, she opted for a tame lime green colored bra, and matching boy shorts, vowing to never consider this drawer in relation to Dumbledore ever again. Putting on the bra however, and noting how well it fit, and how comfortable it was gave her pause. _There had better be some boob measuring spell or something_ , she thought unwilling to even consider that he had gauged her size by looking at her. _What the hell am I even worried about?_ she thought suddenly _he_ _'_ _s 150, and doesn_ _'_ _t play for my team_ , giggling a little at the total absurdity of the situation as she continued dressing.

She went for a black pair of straight legged jeans, and a plain peach V-neck tee that complimented her pale skin and rosy coloring. A moment later there was a soft knock at her door. She grabbed her phone which thankfully was still fully charged, her ASU jacket, tucked her backpack safely in one of the empty dresser drawers and went to answer the door.

Snape stood there looking distinctly like a bat in a foul mood, complete with withering stare. Most people she met towered over her, but standing in front of Snape with all billowing robes and sarcasm, she felt particularly small. His hair looked marginally less greasy than it had yesterday, she noted, and it was little jarring to the girl.

"Snape." she said nodding her head in greeting.

"Holtzer." he replied stepping out of the way so she could exit the room.

She closed the door behind her and followed Snape who was already several feet ahead of her, walking briskly down the corridor which was brightly lit from the large windows that lined it. She practically had to jog to keep up with his long gliding strides.

"So… uh, how are you this morning?" Mis said a little awkwardly, attempting to make conversation.

"What…" said Snape with mock inquisition and a raised eyebrow, "No bravado? No inane observations?" Mis smirked.

"I prefer to think of my observations as needful yet largely ignored by the general populace, and it's too early to be clever, I need a quart of coffee mainlined before I'll even consider commenting on your _actually_ washed hair." She glanced up at Snape's drawn pale face, and noticed a bit of humor brightening his eyes. He slowed his steps when he noticed her lack of ability to keep up.

"I assume Dumbledore informed you of your recent familial tragedy and apprenticeship, you'll be my mother's sister's husband's daughter from his first wife. Making you my first cousin through marriage." Snape drawled, fresh annoyance draining away his quiet amusement.

"Glad we could keep it simple." she mumbled, thoroughly irritated with Dumbledore as well. The way she figured it, the sooner Tommy Riddle was made aware of her existence the sooner she'd get to have a little fun at his expense.

She heard the great hall before she saw it. The busy clinking of silverware, buzzing conversation, and general merriment of the early morning cutting through her uncaffeinated brain as she approached with Snape close to her side. She stepped through the large double doors, and her heart squeezed in excitement at the display before her. The ceiling showed the sky as being partly cloudy with bright blue dominating the fluffy white clouds. Below it hovered hundreds of lit candles, though because of the brightness from the sky and the many windows, they seemed unnecessary. She gapped, totally unashamed of her wonder at the room she had imagined since childhood. Mis's face was already glowing softly from the strenuous walk with Snape, but when she saw the great hall her face beamed, she couldn't help it even if she had wanted to.

It was the soft clearing of Snape's throat that made her realize she was standing in the entrance, frozen. It was then that she also noticed the buzz of the hall had died down significantly, and people were staring. Not one to let herself grow nervous in the face of new things, she held her head high, and walked with a calculated confident sway to her hips. Reaching the head table, she stopped Snape with a hand on his arm, a sudden bit of anxiety taking ahold of her, and indicated that she wanted to whisper something. He complied, much to the general disbelief of the room at large. That same guarded amusement making his coal eyes look less like a dense darkness.

"Where the hell am I supposed sit?" she whispered, letting a bit of her worry seep through the question. Sitting at the Slytherin table would alienate her from the rest of the school she suspected, and wouldn't look good as a first impression to the golden trio, whom she intended to have trust her. Nor was she comfortable sitting at Gryffindor as she wanted to maintain the possibility of infiltrating Slytherin house at some point in the not too distant future.

"You're sitting at the head table, per the request of Dumbledore, next to me…cousin." Snape drawled with poorly hidden amusement at her discomfort. With that, he turned away from her, and glided up the stairs to his place at the end of the table. Mis followed close behind, still not awake enough to reply with a withering comeback, instead she just snorted knowing he had bested her.

Mis could feel everyone's eyes on her like the wicked desert sun burning her back, it was uncomfortable, but she was generally good at schooling her features to be impassive, especially in the face of anxiety. She took her seat between Snape and a toadish looking man she thought was Slughorn.

"Excuse me, Professor Slughorn?" Mis said, figuring she may as well get introductions out of the way. The man's head snapped to look at her, he may have been lost in his breakfast, had not expected anyone to talk to him, or perhaps it was the shock of seeing a young woman sitting next to him, either way he looked comically confused at seeing her. "I know, we haven't met, I do know you by reputation however" Mis said offering a sweet, falsely timid smile. She seemed to have at least partially broken Slughorn's daze, he flushed slightly and smiled warmly.

"Artemis Holtzer." She continued, holding out her hand more delicately than she normally would for a handshake. He clasped her small hand in both of his bloated slightly clammy ones, cradling it as if it were incredibly fragile.

"My dear, it is a pleasure to meet you. Professor Dumbledore informed me of a new interesting character, brought here by tragedy. However, I had assumed you would be attending school, instead of working at it. The way he described you seemed to indicate you have a knack for making an impression, I now see what he means." Slughorn blabbered self-importantly, acting every bit the Slytherin social climber he was.

Mis acted as if she were embarrassed at his praise, ducking her head bashfully. Still having had no coffee in her system she found silence was the best bet for avoiding anymore Slugginess. "Snape." she whispered urgently. "Take pity on me for Christssake, and pass me the coffee before I start wailing on people indiscriminately." She said in a hushed, slightly over dramatic voice. Snape, who was eating toast and jam while reading the Daily Prophet, didn't look up.

"Violence is never the answer, Holtzer." he deadpanned, taking a bite of toast.

"It's about to be the answer, and guess who's first on my list." she said giving him a death glare. Still not looking up from his paper, Snape set down his toast, reached for the shining copper pot of coffee, and topped off his own mug before setting it in front of her wordlessly.

Mis poured her coffee, added two sugar cubes, and sipped the dark, warm beverage. Suddenly feeling infinitely better, she started to eat the scrambled eggs and toast that had appeared on her silver plate a moment before. The Great Hall was still more quite than lively, the four long tables and their occupants sneaking glances and whispers. Finishing her breakfast, she looked around the room. The Gryffindor table consisted mostly of bold curious stares, when she caught the eye of Harry Potter he held her gaze with a fair amount of suspicion, no doubt because of her familiarity with Snape. She gave him a wink and a small smile, which made him blush and lose her gaze. She did it just for fun, knowing she would get an amusing reaction, _Too easy_ she thought happily.

Letting her eyes wander over the great hall she finally let them rest on the Slytherin table, her gaze searching for Draco Malfoy. She felt slightly jarred to find him already staring at her with a curious look on his face, somewhere between annoyance and interest. She held his stare, not willing to lose any contest no matter how trivial, when she heard a clinking noise like silver on glass, however, her concentration was broken.

Dumbledore stood at the podium in all his periwinkle robes and white fluffy bearded-ness. "Students, last evening you were pleased to welcome a new member of faculty in the form of Professor Slughorn. Please allow me to introduce yet another member of staff this morning, Miss Artemis Holtzer." Dumbledore gestured for Mis to rise from her chair, she complied, giving a smile and a wave to the room at large. Dumbledore continued "She will be acting as assistant and apprentice to Professor Snape." There was a general murmuring at that last statement, _No one_ _'_ _s gonna buy this_ she thought darkly, but kept the smile in place. "Please give her a warm welcome." The old man finished, clapping his hands indicating the rest of the hall should join in. The applause was polite from most of the school, funnily enough the Slytherin table seemed to actually be a little more genuinely pleased, no doubt because of her association with Snape.

"Now off to class, pip pip." Dumbledore said as the noise died down. There was a swell of students rising from their tables to exit the hall, and Mis stepped out of her chair waiting for Snape who she assumed she would be shadowing. Snape rose from his chair, and walked down as the hall was emptying, Mis trailing behind him.

"So what are we doing now, how shall we ensnare minds, and bewitch senses?" Mis said catching up to walk in tandem with him, and smirking. "I'm not that adept at ensnaring or bewitching, so you're gonna have to walk me through it." She continued, looking up at him.

"You seemed to do a fine job with Slughorn, and I do believe you nearly bewitched Mr. Potter into a heart attack." Snape said slyly, glancing down at her with a raised eyebrow. Her eyes twinkled with mischief.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say that Professor Severus Snape, the infamous curmudgeon, the ever cantankerous billowing man, just gave me a compliment."

"Don't be ridiculous" he replied snidely. "Slughorn is the most oblivious man I've ever had the displeasure to know, he could be bewitched by a comatose troll, and Mr. Potter is an overly emoting child, bewitched by the slightest bit of interest given to him as long as it strokes his ridiculously colossal ego." Snape finished with no small amount of bitterness coloring his tone when speaking of Harry Potter.

"Don't attempt to diminish my accomplishments." She said with mock indignation, "I will not be discouraged." she continued firmly. "I do however recognize a need for further honing of my ability to ensnare and bewitch, possibly even captivate, but only if we have time. So come on Vader, I want to join the dark side." Mis said while rubbing her hands together like a super villain. Snape stopped walking and looked at her dangerously.

"Are you physically incapable of silence?" he growled.

"No, I'm incapable of it philosophically." She said evenly, meeting his glare.

"I have classes to teach, Holtzer, I suggest you run along and terrorize someone else with your incessant babbling." Snape said, waving his hand dismissively. "Hey, I'm your assistant and I intend to assist. I have to do _something._ I want to help." She said sincerely. "Plus, I have nothing else to do." she added as an afterthought. "Very well, I do have something you can do." he said with a malicious gleam in his eye.

Four hours later found Mis cursing fluently under her breath as she finished up the _charming_ task of relabeling Snape's rather extensive private potions store room. Apparently the man was unwilling to give up his longstanding title as closet-weird-bug-carcass-hoarder, despite the fact that he was no longer the school's resident potion master. He had been unusually pleasant as he was giving her the relabeling instructions, looking back now, she should've taken his demeanor as the worst kind of ill omen. The darkness of the room, it seemed, could not be combated regardless of how many candles she lit or lanterns she burned. _Why don_ _'_ _t wizard have goddamn light bulbs?_ She thought murderously, squinting as she unstuck a yellowed label off a bottle which contained some vile looking dark green gel, and replaced it with a clean white one.

Her hands spotted with black ink from her earlier attempts at wielding a quill.

"Really wizards?" she had said aloud, exasperated with the lack of a normal pen. _I'_ _m gonna be the talk of this school when I introduce these poor bastards to Bic_ she thought, cheering herself with an imagining of a bewildered Snape hold an actual pen, wondering what in god's name it was for. Finishing her task, she straightened up the counter she had been working at, and kneaded her sore neck in an attempt to rub away the evidence of her hunching and squinting over labels.

The door opened urgently, making her squeak in surprise and jump. Draco Malfoy practically steam rolled through the door, and promptly froze as he saw Mis and her currently wild hair and inky fingers. He was wearing all black again, making his face glow white in contrast.

"Where's Snape?" he said shortly, once he righted himself, and held himself rigid in the doorway. Mis leapt off the stool she was sitting on smoothly, and paced slowly toward Draco with a contemplative finger on her lip.

"Hmmm, you know he said something about 'going to collect sustenance in the form of student tears', I can only assume their misery is his nourishment." She replied.

Draco gave a little snort at that, and Mis smiled. She felt a deep sense of pity looking at him, he looked sallow and his features were sharp and haunted. _None of these young men and women should be involved in this_ she thought bitterly. She saw fault on both sides, Dumbledore and Voldemort were using people as pawns to reach their goals, and both believed that the ends justified the means. Her silent musing was broken by the young man's voice.

"I apologize for my rudeness last night Miss Holzter, and just now. You seem to keep being where I least expect." Draco said formally, looking a little uncomfortable. Mis offered him a smile and sauntered a little closer to him.

"I'll accept your apology, if you'll call me Mis." she said, attempting to be friendly instead of snarky for once. His lip curled crookedly.

"Ok… Mis" he said. Before they could descend into an awkward silence, Snape cleared his throat in the doorway.

"Hope I'm not…interrupting" he said with a raise eyebrow, as Mis gave him a withering look, and the small bit of humor that had been in Draco's face dissolved into sullenness once again.

"Speak of the devil…" Mis said giving Snape a bitter look.

"…and the devil shall appear." Snape finished, with far too much cheer in his tone.

"Bad Faith over here was looking for you." Mis said thrusting a thumb in Draco's direction lazily.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait, Mr. Malfoy. I'll see you later." Snape said, giving Draco a pointed look. The young man nodded curtly and swept his pale hair out of his face, and gave Mis a smile that made her want to giggle like a schoolgirl before he exited the room. She turned to Snape, with her arms crossed.

"I'm not doing anymore relabeling, I've been in this dank room for god knows how long, completing a task the could be achieved with something truly magical I like to call a 'label maker'" she said, wiggling her fingers in the air mystically on the word 'label maker.' "…and while we're on the subject of wizarding technology, what have y'all got against lightbulbs, and ballpoint pens? Are they considered dark magic or something? Does Snake Face support Edison and Bic?" She continued throwing her hands in the air in exasperation, and blowing her hair out of her face. Snape allowed her rant to dissipate, gave her an even look.

"Are you quite finished?" Snape asked, unamused.

"Never… viva la revolucion." She said thrusting a fist in the air. Snape pinched the bridge of his nose.

"It is exhausting, being in your presence." He said. Mis smiled at that.

"What? Can't appreciate a good Che reference?" she challenged.

"No." he said looking down at her "Not when I'm making an attempt to lead my maddening _assistant_ to the great hall for lunch."

"Jesus, why didn't you say so? I'm starving." she said, dropping character immediately. She walked briskly past Snape and out the door. Mis made it several feet in the torch lit hall, noticed Snape wasn't following, walked back, and poked her head through the door at Snape, who was frozen in the doorway. "I don't want to have to start singing showtunes, Snape, but I will if food is withheld from me." She said warningly. Snape turned, gave Mis a look of deepest loathing, and stalked down the hallway muttering darkly. Mis followed behind, trying with herculean effort not to burst out laughing.

Mis ate lunch with Snape, who despite the general consensus about his less than friendly demeanor, was a person Mis enjoyed being around. He wasn't a kind man, nor did he suffer fools well, but he was honest and steadfast. When she looked at him, she felt a fierce protectiveness rise like a riptide in her heart and lungs. She felt such a feeling when she caught Harry Potter giving him a look of utter loathing from his seat at the Gryffindor table. Her rational brain knew that perhaps the boy was partially justified in his dislike of Snape. Harry had been treated poorly all his life, and Snape had perpetuated that, holding the boy responsible for the sins of his father.

She mused, and contemplated how and if she might be able to change their perceptions of each other. She wished she could, 'if wishes were horses' she thought dejectedly, it was a phrase her mother often used. Mis was strangely, not homesick, she figured it was because she was so preoccupied with the heavy task of being the catalyst of change to a story. She moodily pushed around bits of her lunch on the silver plate before her, which was some sort of pie crust with meat and vegetables inside, not unpleasant, just not something she was currently invested in.

After lunch, she followed Snape to his office where he instructed her to organize student homework files and detention records, by birth year, and last name then first initial. She was astounded by how jumbled everything was, as if no one had bothered to alphabetize it since sometime around the 16th century. Mis didn't really mind the work, though it was tedious. Snape's office was, at least, better lit than the damn potion store room, and it had the smell of lemon grass and some deeper scent she thought might be some kind of tobacco. It had a forest color scheme, with dark greens and browns she found comforting.

She worked in silence, Snape sitting at a large oak desk his brow furrowed in agitation and sometimes confusion, grading the quizzes he had given for 'first day back' assessments. She pitied the students who had their papers marked with furious agitation by Snape's red inked quill. When Snape gave a vocal utterance of vexed amazement at one student's paper, and his hand came down forcefully on the desk, she had to resist doing the sign of the cross in reverent solidarity with the poor bastard who had done so poorly on the quiz. Instead she felt a soft chuckle bubble out of her against her will at Snape's scholarly frustration.

"Is something funny, Holtzer?" Snape said with a dangerously calm voice.

"No, sir." she said quickly, with a voice of forced sobriety, not looking up from her filing. Mis heard Snape mumble darkly under his breath about 'impertinence'.

The girl smiled, at least she was getting some reaction out of him. She felt that that was promising, and it didn't hurt that she was also having a wicked amount of fun being an annoyance. Getting a rise out of people was one of the things Mis did best, whether it be positive or negative she knew it was her gift, and she was especially happy with how she was presently able to use her ability.

Several hours in silence didn't bother Mis, it went by faster than she had anticipated. When Snape had announced that it was nearly time to go to the headmasters office, she had been surprised how much she had enjoyed herself, simply working in silence with an angry professor. She set aside the files she had been working with, knowing she would be back tomorrow, and stretched her aching back and neck. Snape waited for her in the doorway, his face stiff and impassive.

"So…" Mis said. walking over to him, and looking up into his pale face "Ready for me to seriously freak out some members of The Order of the Phoenix?" she asked happily, mischief glittering merrily in her hazel eyes.

"Quite." the man said, with a wicked sparkle in his inky eyes that mirrored and rivaled the sparkle in her own.


	4. Lack of Order in the Order

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who had favorited, followed and reviewed this story. I hope everyone enjoys this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing, Rowling owns it all, I'm just have fun with the world she created.**

 **Chapter 4: Lack of Order of the Phoenix**

Mis held a calm face as she walked into the headmaster's office, Snape close behind her.

"My dear Miss Holtzer." Said the old man kindly with a tired smile, rising from the chair behind his cluttered desk. "I do hope you've had a pleasant first day." He continued as he stepped nearer to her, his hands clasped loosely behind his back and his midnight blue robes catching the well-lit golden glow of the office making them appear to shimmer. Mis restrained a snort, and instead opted for a wry smile.

"Oh, absolutely. I can hardly breathe for excitement at what enriching activities await me tomorrow." She said, a touch of sarcastic acid seeping into her tone. Dumbledore gave Mis an apologetic smile that made her want to choke him with his own beard. In truth, she didn't mind working for Snape, though she'd rather be turned into a pheasant before admitting that the old man had made a decision she approved of.

"So." Mis said in business tone, and dropping into a chair and crossing her legs.

"I'd like to get a few thing out in the open before the Order meeting commences. First, I know about your hand and I suggest you tell everyone who will be at the meeting tonight. You trust these people to fight alongside you in an effort to defeat Snake Face, you need to trust them with the truth as well." Mis saw a shadow pass over the old man's weary face, and couldn't help but feel a tug of sympathy. Dumbledore raised his charred right hand, looking at it with a benign curiosity, as he processed the girl's words.

"I don't deny the loyalty of my people, Miss Holtzer." Dumbledore said slowly, raising his sharp blue eyes to her own. He didn't sound very convinced, making Mis sigh heavily.

"I'm sorry, sir, I don't … I can't fully believe you when you say that. I know how this war progresses. I know your goals and plans." She said softly. She took a deep breath "…and I know how you withheld knowledge…from those who you claimed to care about. It doesn't go well." She said, her bitterness leaving the end of the sentence sharp.

Mis eyes focused unwaveringly on Dumbledore's. His eyes, for once, did not contain an ethereal sparkle, but rather a depth of guilt and shame that stormed and swirled deep inside them. Mis was never happy about causing pain, even though she knew it was necessary, she still felt a stone fall in her heart at the sight of his eyes. The old man broke the stare first, and seemed to wilt where he stood.

"I feared as much." he said in a heavy voice that showed his age. Mis nodded slowly.

"Hey!" Mis said, trying to sound upbeat. "It can be changed. Nothing is so far gone that it cannot be redeemed. That's why I'm here." the girl said with conviction, raising from her chair and fixing the headmaster with a look of determination.

Snape, who had been silently standing away from her line of sight, made a noise of disbelief. Mis turned sharply to look at him with a cool expression on her face.

"Yes, please Snape, wallow in your marinade of negativity. Reality as we know it may collapse if you show a little faith." She said sharply. Snape smoothly took a step closer to her.

"It's funny, Holtzer, you didn't strike me as a sentimental, dewy eyed, little girl." he said in a low voice dripping with sarcasm, and an impassive mask on his face. Mis sensed he was trying to get a rise out of her, so she simply laughed in good humor, instead of showing her annoyance.

"I'll take both implications of that sentence as a compliment. If you're trying to insult me Snape, it'll take a little more creativity than that." She said, with a cheeky grin. Not giving Snape the opportunity to rebut, she turned back to face Dumbledore, who was watching the exchange with a look of amusement, and no slight amount of confusion.

"I'm also aware of Tommy Riddle's plans in reference to Draco Malfoy, and the Unbreakable Vow, Captain Mega Cynic..." She jerked her thumb behind her in Snape's direction '… made in order to protect him." She paused for a minute, with her thumb on her lip. "Let's go over that at the Order meeting." she said finally, then as an afterthought "…and for the sake of brevity, just assume I am aware of all your strategies." Dumbledore gave a small chuckle, his good mood restored.

"Well, my dear." the old man said walking forward to place a hand on her shoulder, "I daresay this will be an interesting meeting." he said looking down at the girl, the twinkle back in his bright blue eyes. Mis gave a smirk, when a thought occurred to her.

"Where will the meeting be held, sir?" She asked, a bit concerned about how she would travel to any location, considering she couldn't side along apperate, and she wasn't sure if she would be asked to ride a broom, or if would even work for her.

"Fear not, my dear." Dumbledore said gently, noting her worried face. "It will be held in the castle, normally I am reluctant to bring so many Order members into the castle at once, as it will, no doubt, attract attention; however, this time I have decided to make an exception… to protect your safety." Mis nodded gratefully, then looked somewhat apologetic.

"I'm not pulling any punches, Dumbledore, I intend to tell them everything I know." She said warningly. The old man gave a nod of acceptance, then clapped his hands to break the heavy silence that descended at Mis's words. "Well, let us depart for the Room of Requirement, I'm sure everyone is wondering where we are." The old man said, and Mis felt a flutter in her stomach, her heart begin to beat harder, but mostly steady in her chest as she followed Dumbledore and Snape out of the office.

The trio walked in silence through the castle. The castle itself maintaining a certain quietness, as if it was preparing for sleep along with all the students it contained. It was peaceful, and docile, and currently so at odds with Mis' own feelings of excitement and nervousness. The girl, however, kept a serene look on her face, unwilling to show her emotions.

When they reached the third floor after climbing the changing marble stairs, Mis looked a little flushed, and she knew her hair was beyond hope at this point. Before she reached the door to the Room of Requirement, with her fingers, she attempted to tame her dark, shoulder length hair, which had turned wavy from the humid weather. They reached the door and Dumbledore opened it and gestured for her to walk in first.

The room was simple, the walls were painted with neutral colors, tans and browns. It wasn't overly bright, and there was a large fireplace crackling softly with a comfortable looking pale blue furniture set in front of it. Most of the light came from the ceiling, which had plain frosted light fixtures that gave off a soft yellow glow. A large, cherry wood rectangular table dominated the space. Seventeen chairs surrounded it.

There were fourteen people standing close together talking softy. When Mis entered the room, they collectively fell into silence and turned to look at her as she walked in, Dumbledore and Snape close behind her. She held herself as tall as her 5 foot 2 inches allowed, her posture confident, and trying to keep her face friendly and open. Dumbledore placed his right hand between her shoulder blades steering her towards the group, while gesturing with his uncharred hand to the room at large.

"Everyone, this is Miss Artemis Holtzer." the old man said. "Miss Holtzer, this is Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minerva MacGonagall, whom you've already met, Remus Lupin, Arthur and Molly Weasley, and their children Bill, Fred, George, and Ron, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter." said Dumbledore gesturing to each person as he spoke their respective names. Mis waited patiently for the roll call to end, she already knew who everyone was, but she didn't want to seem rude by interrupting.

"I can honestly say, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Mis said sincerely to the group of people before her, giving a small but bright smile. Mis looked at the group, scanning their eyes for emotion, most had guarded suspicion, some held interest.

"I know this is, well…" she snapped her fingers as if that would make the right word land on her brain faster, "…fucking insane." she finished holding her hands out apologetically. "I don't expect to be automatically trusted, I would actually be rather disappointed if y'all just took my word as gospel right out of the gate. All I ask, is that I might be given a chance to prove myself. I'll answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability." Mis spoke in the clear, calm voice, making sure to look into all their eyes while she spoke. She wanted to appear sure of herself without coming off as arrogant. _Just don_ _'_ _t be a bitch_ she thought to herself, repeating the phrase in her head like a chant.

There was a hushed murmuring at her words, and everyone seemed willing to allow her the opportunity to explain herself.

"I think we should all have a seat, and begin." Dumbledore said in a curiously light tone, as if they were all planning to play a quiet game of bridge, or some other game played by the exceedingly aged. The group walked to the long table, and sat down. _Ok_ Mis thought darkly, as she took a seat at the very end of the table, Dumbledore sitting at the head to her right, and Snape taking the seat to her left.

Several kettles, bottles and jugs appeared in the center of the table, as well as mugs and glasses. There was a general movement as everyone made to fill their glass or mug with the drink of their choice. Mis eyed the copper pot of coffee longingly, and without having to ask, Snape retrieved it from where it was, out of Mis's reach, as well as two plain white mugs. He placed one in front of her, filled his own mug, and wordlessly placed the pot in front of her. Mis slowly turned her head to look at him, with a raised eyebrow. Snape glance at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Despite what you make think, Holtzer, I really do not approve of violence, especially when it has the potential to be directed at me." He drawled. Mis gave him a smirk.

"Smart man." she said, turning to add two sugar cubes to her steaming coffee.

It was then that she noticed everyone was staring at her as she replied to the former potions master. She coughed awkwardly as a silence continued to blanket the table, letting her cool veneer slip for a second before righting herself. Mad-Eye slammed his hand down on the table, startling everyone but Snape and Dumbledore.

"I will not be a part of this." He roared at Dumbledore. "We know nothing of this girl, she could be in league with the Dark Lord. She seems a wee bit too chummy with Severus for my tastes. Anyone who can have a light hearted verbal spare with a Death Eater is no one I would trust." His sandy hair waved wildly around his face, as fast and deranged looking as his whizzing blue eye, while he blustered.

"Alastor, please trust me when I say, this girl is not on the side of dark magic. She came here to help us, please, allow her the chance to prove that she is able to." Dumbledore's face and voice were imploring, as he spoke. Moody gave a snort of disbelief, and turned to glare at the girl, who met his stare. Mis took a slow sip of coffee, then cleared her throat.

"Seriously Mad-eye? Why don't you consider actually listening for five minutes before throwing out ridiculous accusations, and insulting the intelligence of one of the greatest wizards of the age?" She said calmly, placing her coffee back on the table with a soft tap, she sighed. _So much for the no bitchiness idea_ she thought in resignation.

"You listen here, girlie, you're playin' a game bigger than you can possibly fathom." Mad-eye said in a low, threatening voice, while raising himself from his chair down the table. "Dark witch, or no, you don't belong here. That's the bloody bottom line." He finished, slamming his mangled hand down on the last sentence. Mis kept her face blank and distant, though she was inexplicably hurt by Mad-eye's visceral rejection. She understood his skepticism and had expected nothing less, yet still, she was wounded by his harsh words, and even more so by his unwillingness to give her a chance. She was about to throw the _no bitchiness_ rule straight out the window, and give him a taste of the acid that so often dripped from her tongue when someone spoke.

"Now Mad-eye, we'll never get to the bottom of this with that kind of attitude. I say we listen to what Miss Holtzer has to say. Is that not why we're here?" Remus Lupin spoke in a soft, tired voice, his hand held up in an attempt to pacify and his face clearly indicating that he wanted this meeting to progress with as little conflict as possible. The ragged looking man turned to face Mis, giving her a warm smile which she returned gratefully. Mad-eye sunk back into his chair, grumbling something about 'constant vigilance'.

"I propose we start at the beginning, Miss Holtzer, Where are you from and why are you here?" Lupin said, with his tone gentle and light, and his amber eyes kind. "I'm from Phoenix, Arizona, where I lived with my parents and brother and sister. I'm not sure I'm fully able to answer 'Why' I'm here, per say. I was sent here by…well, her name was Mrs. Weber. She told me I was being followed by an entity with many names, and something about meeting "it" on his own playing field. She also said I would be able to change the outcome of this stor-…war if I wanted." Mis kept her voice business like, as if she were on a job interview, her words cautious and her hazel eyes steadily holding Lupin's. She sounded like a lunatic to her own ears, and she inwardly cringed, _they're gonna cart me off to the nice wizards in white, and who the hell would blame_ _'em_ _?_ she thought.

"How do you intend to aid us?" Said the deep voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt. Mis looked at the dark skinned man, who was in bright blue robes, and cleared her throat feeling a little nervous under his scrutiny.

"I know that none of you have ever met me, but I know every one of you. For the sake of simplicity let's just say I'm a sort of seer, I came here with knowledge of your lives and struggles, more importantly I came here with knowledge of how events unfold. I want to give this information to you so that you may avoid as much death and destruction as possible." Mis said, her voice had a business tone, but she couldn't entirely help the flood of pure dogma that rushed through her as she spoke.

There was a general shock that seemed to make the room buzz with murmuring for a moment before Mad-eye shouted over the hub .

"Prove it!" in his gravelly voice. Mis tried to hold back a smirk, but she was certain her eyes gave away her amusement. _Let'_ _s see how much I can freak these people ou_ t she thought happily, taking a sip of her coffee.

"As you wish, Moody, any preference on who I should start with?" Mis said no longer attempting to hide her smile. This is what she'd been waiting for.

"Do us." Fred and George chorused in unison. Mis giggled, then pretended to look affronted

"At least take me to dinner first, boys, I'm not _that_ easy." She said attempting to lighten the mood, and flashing them a devilish grin. She watched in satisfaction, as several things occurred after the words left her mouth. Harry and Ron, who were both taking sips of butterbeer, choked and coughed before looking at her with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Arthur, Molly, MacGonagall, Bill, and Hermione had a silent, shocked reaction, and opted to just ogle her where she sat. Mad-eye gave a small grunt of disapproval at her sassiness. Kingsley let a small smile crack his otherwise poised face. Lupin and Tonks both gave chuckles of approval. Dumbledore twinkled at her, while Snape offered a sneer. But her favorite reaction came from the twins, who upon hearing her words froze, then slowly in unison placed their right hands over their hearts.

"The lady doth pierce my heart." Said Fred with an awed look on his face.

"Truly, brother mine, how will we proceed?" George said, his hand clasping his chest as if wounded. They shared a look and nodded, then quickly turned to face Mis again.

"Marry us." the said in unison, holding out their left hands in tandem. Mis giggled at their antics.

"As attractive as business men are to me, I think I must decline…for now." she said with a wink.

"We must keep hope alive." George said to his brother, who nodded solemnly.

"Yes, this is all very adorable." said Mad-eye gruffly, "but I don't have all night to listen to teenage flirtation, get to your proof girl." His voice raised, and his electric blue eye jerked and twitched in agitation as he spoke. Mis turned to look at him with challenging smirk plastered on her face.

"Fred and George own a joke shop, which was kickstarted by a loan given to them by Harry Potter, who won the money in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. They didn't finish their seventh year of school, but they didn't just quietly drop out, oh hell no, instead they cemented their legacy as some of the greatest prankster's in Hogwart's history." She paused, holding a finger up "only to be bested by the Marauders." she qualified, throwing a wink to Lupin who looked a little startled. "They set off an ungodly amount of fireworks, during some O.W.L's examinations, which in my humble opinion, was the most satisfying act of resistance toward that fluffy, pink, bitch, Umbridge. They also are the only people who can honestly say they've thrown snowballs at Tommy Riddle's face, as there was one occasion in which they both pelted them at the back of Quirrel's head in their third year." At the end of her little speech, Mis picked up her mug of coffee, and sat back in her chair and nonchalantly took a sip. She surveyed the group, feeling quite satisfied with herself, as everyone sat frozen in their chairs.

"I've always had a soft spot for you two." she said cheering her mug in Fred and George's direction.

"Well, I think Miss Holtzer has proven her point." Dumbledore said with cheerful decisiveness. "Now." said the old man with a clap of his hands, standing up, and giving off the impression that he wanted to move things along. "Shall we admit her as a member of The Order of the Phoenix, with all rights, privileges, and protection due to members?" He inquired, steadily looking around the table. "All in favor?" He said and raised his hand. Mis felt her heart swell as Lupin, Fred, George, MacGonagall, Kingsley, Tonks, Bill, all raised their hands. She looked to her left where Snape was sitting, and saw him raise his hand slowly and begrudgingly. She caught his eye, and raised her eyebrows in mock query. Snape slowly bowed his head and pinched the bridge of his nose, as if already regretting his decision.

Dumbledore beamed down at Mis, before saying "Those opposed?" Mad-eyes hand shot up, and much to Mis' surprise so did 's. She decided to store away that development for later perusal. "The ayes have it. Welcome Miss Artemis Holtzer, to The Order of the Phoenix." He twinkled down at her, and Mis beamed back up at him. She felt buoyant, and a little giddy by their acceptance of her.

"Thank you very much for this opportunity, everyone." She said sending a smile to the group at large. Mis cleared her throat. "Well, now that that's over." she said, then turned to Dumbledore. "If you'll allow it, sir, I have some important information to share with everyone." The old man bowed his head in acquiescence, and gave a hand gesture that indicated she had the floor. All eyes turned to her.

"So, here's the deal." she said her voice strong, but her insides a little fluttery at being the center of attention. "In punishment for Lucius "Goldilocks" Malfoy's failure at the Ministry last year, Snake Face has put the squeeze on Malfoy Senior's access to conditioner and other various hair products that he requires to maintain his, forgive me, epically fabulous moonlight colored locks." Mis deadpanned, with her hands held up and a 'don't shoot the messenger' look on her face.

Several people gave small chuckles, Snape simply put his head in his hands and shook his head slowly. "Now, everyone please hold your outrage, as this is only the tip of the iceberg. Snake Face, after stripping Mr. Malfoy of his perfect tresses, has taken his son and inducted him into his ranks as a Death Eater." Silence overtook the room for a moment before there was a crash as a chair was overturned in the haste of it's occupant.

"I knew it!" shouted Harry, standing up hurriedly, and pointing at Mis. "See?" he said sending glares at both Ron and Hermione, who were seated on either side of him, his arms flailing wildly. He looked as if he were having some sort of fit. "I bloody well told, you!" Harry's face was livid, but with a distinct glaze of victory prominent in his vivid green eyes.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Potter. Your deductive skills are truly dizzying to behold." Snape sneered.

"You knew?" said Harry looking at Snape with utter loathing, and trying to wrap his head around all the information. "That…Means." he said losing steam, and turning to Dumbledore. "Professor…did you know too?" said the boy quietly, his excitement dissolving into confusion. The old man looked stricken at the boy's bewilderment.

"Yes, Harry. I knew." Dumbledore said, his voice sounding old and tired, and full of regret.

Harry recoiled back as if he had been slapped in the face, a look of betrayal soon replacing the one of confusion. He leaned his hands on the table, as if having a difficult time standing up, and bowed his head.

"Harry." said Hermione softly, her voice full of concern. She attempted to place a hand on his shoulder, but he shrugged it off angrily.

"So you lied to me?" He said his head still bowed. "Why?" he said looking up at Dumbledore, his eye's bright with unshed tears.

Mis watched the proceedings before her, in relative shock. _Ok, maybe I should have broken that one a little lighter_ she thought as she watched Harry as he tried to contain his feelings of pain. She felt a surprisingly strong sense of pity as she watched him grapple with his emotions. He was wearing his school uniform, as were Ron and Hermione, and it made them look so young to her. Even though she was only a year older, she felt herself wanting to comfort him, and tell him it was going to be alright.

"Ok." she said standing up, and attempting to regain control of the situation. "I know this must be difficult for you, Harry, but Dumbledore had his reasons for withholding the truth, and he has done everything to the best of his ability." She said, unsure why she was defending Dumbledore yet committed to idea that she needed to diffuse the situation. Snape gave a derisive snort. She turned on him, ready to spit fire.

"Oh my God, Snape! Not. Helping." She said in exasperation. He ignored her, and simply took a sip of his coffee. She huffed, and turned back to look at the Boy-Who-Lived. "Harry, there are still several thing's I have to cover before the end of this meeting. I understand if you want to leave, but if you stay, please be quiet." she said it as gently as she could, despite her pity for Harry she knew there was still so much ground to cover.

"Holtzer, it's not polite to hold people to things to which they are…incapable." said Snape, his voice positively dripping with unbridled sarcasm. She closed her eyes briefly, praying for strength, then turned slowly to look at the 'man of a thousand sneers'.

"Try and contain yourself." she said to Snape mildly, holding up her hand in a stop gesture. He maintained a look of innocence that was so childlike, she nearly started laughing out loud at his immaturity. She shook her head, and heaved a long suffering sigh.

"Draco Malfoy is now a Death Eater. That would be bad enough, however, the plot thickens. He has been given the task of assassinating Dumbledore, which he is expected to fail…obviously." She said, waiting for those words to sink in to the group surrounding her. "Now, that would be bad enough, if it weren't for the Unbreakable Vow, Snape made to Draco's mother to assist him, and complete the task if Draco cannot…"

That did it. Everyone began shouting in outrage, some raised from their chairs and the table became a blur of waving hands and indignant voices. Mad-eye stomped his peg leg on the ground like a petulant child, while shouting about "a traitorous snake in our midst". MacGonagall was yelling shrilly at Dumbledore who looked completely composed. The Weasley's had all gone red in their faces from shock, and were blustering unintelligibly. Lupin, bless him, was trying to calm everyone down, with Tonks attempting to assist him.

Mis just sat back in her chair, propping her elbow on the chairs armrest and cradled her cheek in her hand. _What did I really expect?_ the thought to herself bitterly, as she watched the pandemonium unfold before her. She chanced a look at Snape, who seemed entirely too pleased with the recent anarchy. His coal eyes were filled with mirth, as he glanced down at the girl. She shook her head while keeping eye contact with him, and gave a resigned shrug. She could've sworn his lip twitched then, but it was too fast for her to be certain.

"Everyone, Everyone, please…" Dumbledore said as he slowly stood, and attempted to quiet the room gently, he must've realized what a futile effort that was, for in the next second his voice boomed out "THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH!" Everyone froze at that, and the room fell into a tense silence. "Thank you." the old man said softly. "Miss Holtzer, would you care to continue."

"You know what? how 'bout you take the reins on this one, sir. I think it may be easier if they hear it from you." Mis said with a sigh.

"Very well." Said the old man, and sat back down wearily, motioning for everyone to do the same. Once everyone was again seated, they all waited with bated breath, as Dumbledore let go a heavy sigh. "My friends, I have news, that you all will find troubling. I am dying, and I am aware of Snape's vow to the Malfoy's. I would like to inform you all, that when the time comes, he will hold true to his vow, and he will kill me." Though everyone looked as if they wanted to argue, they did not, as Dumbledore raised his hand for continued silence.

"I am allowing this to happen for many reasons, my friends, not the least of which is that I will not allow a young man's soul to be marred by my own murder. In addition, it will allow Snape to be counted as the Dark Lords most faithful servant, this will ensure him a position of power, and thus further protection and information for the all of you after my death." The old man's voice was heavy, and his blue eyes danced across every face at the table, letting them know this was the truth with such tenderness, that Mis felt her heart being pierced with a frosty knife. She was realizing how easy it had been to be angry and disillusioned with the professor from that safety of her room, simply reading about him. Now, however, as she watched him, she was beginning to find it more and more difficult to lay blame, and deny the care he had for his followers.

"Is there no other way, Albus?" MacGonagall said imploringly.

"This _is_ the other way, professor." said Mis softly, and to her surprise, the hawkish woman seemed to understand, and just gave a slow nod. Everyone seemed to be in a state of shock, looking around at each other, as if searching for some kind of anchor. Dumbledore had seemingly had enough of the gloomy atmosphere, because the next moment he gave soft laugh.

"There is no need to be so sorrowful, my friends, I assure you, I will not be dying today." He said lightly, then his eyes seemed to brighten as a thought occurred to him.

"Hope is not lost. Miss Holtzer, has not only knowledge that will help us win this war, but also a…rather interesting ability." He said giving the girl, a wink. This new revelation seemed to, at least moderately, break the heavy brooding trance that everyone had been under.

"If everyone can rise from their chairs, Miss Holtzer and I will proceed to demonstrate." Everyone complied, and Dumbledore took out his wand, and waved it with a flourish, making the large table disappear, along all the chairs.

The group stood in two parallel lines, with Dumbledore at the head still. The old man's eyes sparkled as he motioned for Mis to walk opposite him, where the table would have ended, had it still been there. Mis sauntered over smugly, knowing this display would at least have some entertaining reactions from the Order members. She stopped on her mark and turned to face Dumbledore. She bent her knees slightly, and held her arms loosely waiting for him to strike. "Ok, old man, bring it." she said clapping her hands, then motioning him to go for it. Everyone gasped, as a bright blue light shot out of the tip of the headmasters wand, raced towards her, and instead of sending her flying backward with the force of the impact, it simply faded through the soft peach colored fabric of her shirt and dissolved into her pale skin. She smiled wickedly,

"Come on, you can do better than a stinging hex. Go on, let me have it." the young girl said, taunting the old man lightly. He replied with a chuckle, and several more differently colored streams of light, all of which were absorbed into Mis' skin.

In a final attempt, Dumbledore waved his wand intricately, throwing his whole body behind the spell, he shot a large crackling yellow ball of energy towards Mis. When it hit her she felt nothing, it just absorbed into her like all the other spells, but did get a sense of the power behind the spell. She made a show of yawning pointedly, and saying in jest.

"You know, I think I almost felt that one."

The old man laughed heartily at that, his dark robe rippling with the force of his laughter. Mis couldn't help but join in, despite that fact that everyone seemed awe struck that she was even capable of laughing after having been on the receiving end of Albus Dumbledore's spell work. "So." Mis said sobering up. "Anyone else care to take a stab?" She said, glancing around the room expectantly.

"I'll have a go, girlie." said Mad-eye ominously. Mis suppressed an eye roll, as the ragged, sandy haired man walked with purpose to where Dumbledore stood. The man drew his wand from the a holster that was attached to his belt, and with a little too much enthusiasm fired an angry looking beam of red light at her chest and held his hand in pose.

Mis knew what he had done the moment the curse touched her skin. She felt no pain, but knew he had attempted to cast the cruciatus on her. Righteous anger clouded her mind, as she walked slowly and deliberately towards Moody, who had his wand still trained on her. He seemed to be unaware that she was getting closer to him, as all he did was focus his eyes more heavily, which caused his scarred face to turn a blotchy red and little beads of sweat to appear on his temples.

Mis walked until the tip Mad-eye's wand was touching her chest, just above her heart. She looked at the man's face, which was still in deep concentration, then down at the wand that was emitting the vicious red light directly into her. In one fluid motion, Mis knocked Mad-eye's wand hand away from her chest, and gave a hard kick to the man peg leg, the force of which caused him fall backward on his ass with a solid thump. She looked down at the bastard, her eyes flashing.

"Let me be clear, jackass, you ever attempt to use an Unforgivable on me or on anyone in my presence again, and I will not fucking _hesitate_ to take your little wand and put it through a goddamn wood chipper." Mis said in a low, dangerous voice, while leaning threateningly to where Mad-Eye sat on the ground.

In the silence that followed her words, Mis glared murder at Moody. Of all the things, she had expected to transpire after her attempted threat, the one reaction she hadn't even considered came to be. Mad-eye let out a deep belly laugh, slapping his hand on his good leg in such unbridled enthusiasm, that Mis considered that he had actually gone mad.

"You're ok, girlie." He said fondly, wiping a tear from his eye and sniffing. "Merlin's sagging left testicle, I haven't had that much fun in years." He said still chortling. "Help an old man back to his feet, girlie." Mad-eye said, reaching his hand up.

Not entirely sure of what the hell had just happened, Mis took his gnarled hand and heaved him up.

"Where in the bloody hell did you find this one, Albus? No one's had the brass ones to drop me on my arse since I graduated from the Auror academy." Mad-eye said, giving Mis a strong, slightly painful clap on the back.

"I can't take credit, Alastor, this one found me." Dumbledore replied, with a little bit of pride in his voice. Mis was sure that her cheeks had gone from rosy glow, to tomato red at all the approval she was receiving.

After that, several other order members attempted to cast on Mis. Lupin had the idea to attempt incarcerous on her, but the moment the magically conjured ropes touched her body, they had dissolved like all the other spells. She tried not to look smug, but it was all for naught, she knew this ability gave her a hitherto uncharted level of badassery, and she intended to enjoy it. Everyone tuckered themselves out trying to make some magic affect her, with no success. She could tell their minds were far away, still heavy with the shock of Dumbledore's inevitable demise. So after everyone had had a go at her, they unanimously opted to call the meeting to an end.

Mis felt incredibly tired from all the excitement of the day, and felt herself unwillingly start to wilt like an un-watered flower. Dumbledore, who seemed to notice her plight, bid everyone a good night and safe journey, and promised to keep them abreast of any new developments. She thanked everyone for allowing her this opportunity, and shook hands while exchanging farewells. Her weariness began overtaking her, as she bid the golden trio goodnight, and they stiffly bid the same to her. When everyone had vacated, Dumbledore placed his good hand on her shoulder and steered her out of the room. Snape had slipped away, silent as a shadow and, without any well wishes, he glided away down the darkened stone hall.

Dumbledore walked Mis back to her room silently. The walls of the castle, echoing their footsteps, but otherwise peacefully still. Upon reaching her room, Dumbledore gave the young girl a sad smile, and left without saying a word. Mis heaved a sigh and walked into her room. She was dead tired, but she knew she would feel infinitely better if she were to take a shower before bed. She did, allowing the hot, steaming water and flowery soaps to melt away her tension. Ten minutes, or so, later, her wet hair was braided and she wore soft cotton sleep shorts with little cauldrons printed on them, as well as thin camisole. She extinguished the glowing lanterns in her room, leapt into bed, and nestled in the fluffy green comforter. She sighed in contentment and closed her eyes.

Mis' eyes shot open, as she heard her the muffled ring of her phone in her backpack on the floor.


	5. Late Calls Are Bad News

**Author's Note: Hello everyone, I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while (new semester is here, so I've been super busy). I promise to try and do better in the future, and not leave y'all out in the cold again.**

 **Author's Note 2: Fyi, up until this point, I've maintained a third person restrictive narrative (thanks ENG102 for that terminology), in this chapter however, and in future ones, there will be third person omniscient peppered throughout, as well as some different POV's. Hopefully it isn't too distracting. As always, thanks for reading, please review and, most importantly, enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm not the author of Harry Potter. If I were, I'd be inaccessibly wealthy (kinda like Smaug), but I don't... so I'm not.**

 **Chapter 5: Late Calls Are Bad News**

Mrs. Weber sat in her kitchen, the gold and pink light of the setting sun gently beaming down through the window above the sink, sparkling off the stainless steel and warming the wood floors. She held a cigarette between her twisted, tree root fingers, while she hunched over her red diner table, deeply involved in the book before her. The room was full of hazy smoke, swirling lazily against the dying light.

The book was _The Half-Blood Prince_ , she had mostly flitted through the pages until she found a reference to Artemis. _As Harry drew closer to the wrought iron gates, he saw a small figure that blended softly into the persistent darkness. He was curious, wracking his brains on who it could be, as he had assumed everyone would be at the start of term feast. Walking steadily forward, he saw that it was a girl. She was wearing muggle clothes, grey trousers made of thin denim that clung to her legs through to the ankle, and a maroon and gold zip up jumper that was too big for her petite frame. Her face was turned toward a group of three people who seemed to be bickering with her arms were crossed, whether in irritation or in an attempt to huddle from the chill he couldn_ _'_ _t tell. Her dark hair was braided to the side, ending just past her shoulders, with several reckless strands falling around her neck._

 _She must have heard him approach, because her face shifted to the gate. He felt a slight buzz pulsing in his head, and a prickle in his scar at seeing her turn towards him. She had a pretty face, heart shaped and soft, a perky nose, and full lips that seemed to naturally curl upward. Her eyes seemed to be the same color as the dark forest around her, they were sharp without being cold, and held an unmistakable spark of recognition as they fell on him._

 _A moment later her face paled, she looked stricken by something as she continued to look at him. Her eyes turned wild and confused, and she stepped backwards as if preparing to run, before she could, however, her eyes fluttered closed and she crumpled to the ground. The moment she fell, Harry was blinded with a white hot pain in his scar, his vision swam before him. He fell to his knees and his vision went black._

 _The air was cool, and smelled of wet earth and green, living things. He opened his eyes to see the sun tint the flitting leaves above his head, and coat them in a glassy gold light. The ground was soft underfoot, and he was without shoes. He was in a forest, but it was neither dense nor dark, and quite unlike any forest he could recall. Ivy clung to the reddish tree bark, and small white flowers sprung from the rich soil between their roots. The sunlight was warm, and sunk deep into his bones. He heard the soft sound of murmuring water and decided to walk in the direction of the noise._

 _He weaved through the trees, no burs or thorns hindering his bare feet, the promising sound of bubbling water growing louder. Rounding that last tree in his way, he saw her. The Girl was sitting on the mossy bank, in a black robe made of a thin, delicate material, with her pale feet in the stream. The sunlight seemed to almost bend around her, flourishing in yellow waves like a pale sphere around her body. The tall grass on the bank bent as if trying to reach her, and the gurgling water swirled around her feet in an unnatural attraction. Her posture was relaxed, with one hand behind her back supporting her weight, and the other idly twirling something slim and metallic that blinked when the light caught it._

 _She must have heard him approach, as she turned her face towards him. Her eyes seemed to know him, yet they held no shutter of anxiety; instead there was a smile in them. He felt something purr dangerously inside of him, something he hadn_ _'_ _t felt in a very long time_ _…_ _Curiosity._

Mrs. Weber nodded her head slowly, everything was progressing, perhaps a little differently than she had anticipated. Still, this development looked promising, Tom Riddle was intrigued by her girl, which would work in Artemis's favor… at least, Mrs. Weber hoped it would. The old woman flicked her cigarette into her ashtray, and flipped several pages. She chuckled to herself when reading about the wink that Artemis gave Harry, _that girl_ _'_ _s incorrigible_ she thought to herself fondly. Mrs. Weber leafed through the book a little more, when she came across some blank pages. The old woman furrowed her brow, stubbed out the ember on her cigarette, and stared a moment, before quickly flipping through the rest of the book. It was all blank. She reached for _The Deathly Hollows_ , and found the cover blank, and every page inside blank as well. There was something wrong…

Her eye caught movement in the blank pages, and dropped the book she was holding as if it were something lethal. Black ink seeped into the milk white pages, looking like dark, poisoned veins. The pages rippled like agitated water, as the ink undulated and twisted to form letters and words. When they settled, tentatively she picked up _The Deathly Hollows_. It took a moment for her eyes to register the words on the cover, but when she did, she felt as if a freezing vice had squeezed the air out of her already wheezing smokers lungs.

The cover no longer held a boy with messy hair reaching his arm out in front of an orange sky; it had turned into a twilit sky, with a waning moon shining down on a handsome man with wavy black hair, and sharp cheekbones. His eyes were closed and a triumphant smile played attractively on his lips as he basked in the clean, pale moonlight. She ran her finger along the scarlet colored letters. _Tom Riddle and the Last Enemy_. She flipped through it frantically, trying to get an idea of what the plot was. After several minutes of reading, Mrs. Weber jumped from her chair with a speed normally unseen in such a shriveled looking body, and lunged toward the plastic phone mounted on the pale yellow kitchen wall.

Mis sat up in bed, the sound of her musical ringtone seemed so normal, and its sound contrasted so incredibly with her surroundings, that she found herself momentarily frozen in surreal confusion. On the second bar of "Do you believe in magic", she lurched toward her backpack, getting her feet caught in her covers and tumbling to the dark wood floor with a thump. Disoriented by her fall and the room's blackness, she crawled frantically towards her backpack propped against the dresser. She reached it on her knees and clumsily unzipped the front pocket. She pulled out her phone and saw a foreign number on the display.

 _If this is a telemarketer_ _…I'_ _ll actually be a little impressed_ she thought to herself as she slid her finger across the phone's bluish, glowing screen and raising it to her ear.

"Hello?" she said her voice a mixture of confusion and annoyance.

"Let me ask you something Mis…" came the crackling smoker's voice of Mrs. Weber, her tone falsely light. Mis stood up as her heart skipped nervously. "…What the hell did you do?" The old woman inquired pleasantly.

"Uhhhh…Don't, wait huh?" Mis said intelligently raising a cold hand to rapidly heating face. "Words, Mis. Use. Them." The woman said in exasperation, "are you consulting Voldemort to victory? Because from my end, that does seem to be the case."

Mis felt her body go rigid, and her heart beat painfully hard in her chest.

"Of course not!" the girl exclaimed in indignation, "I've been here all of two days, I haven't even met Snake Face yet, there's no way he even knows of my existence." She paused, as her mind whirled with dread. "Oh my sweet lord, What did I do? Why in the blazing hell did you send me here if you knew I was capable of screwing this world into oblivion?" She exclaimed before standing up and starting to pace frantically in the dark room. She paused abruptly before smacking her hand on her forehead. "Oh god…The meeting… did I just set in something in motion that causes Snake Face to win? I'm the goddamn catalyst?! Me? How could I do this?!" Mis blabbered, gaining momentum in her panic, and flailing her arm around her head wildly. "I knew it…I fucking knew this was too easy, it's never that easy. I can't do this, I came to right the wrongs of Dumbledore, and now, dear god, I'm no better than him… I'm worse, at least he defeated Voldemort the first time around." She walked to the bed and sat down dejectedly, slumping on the edge and covering her eyes with her hand. With newfound fire, she jerked her face upward as a new emotion began to cloud her reason.

"You did this… you should have known that I was an idiot, how could you do this? Yeah… send the seventeen year old recluse with an overinflated sense of cosmic justice, who has had way too much time to develop various theories on fictional fucking worlds. Great! Just brilliant. Slow clap for the inter-dimensional pin having, withered old bat. First, you drop me in the sixth book, offering me no way to save Sirius, which by the way, I'm still royally pissed off about. Then you tell me I've caused Snake Face to win. There should be some kind of goddamn screening process." Mis let out a huff, then let the silence grow after her rant, her breath coming out shallow and trembling.

Mrs. Weber cleared her throat.

"Are you finished?" the old woman said dryly. "This isn't unfixable Mis, it's just a complication that I didn't foresee. Nothing is carved in stone dear, you need to calm down." She said her voice softening, and Mis found herself feeling very small and ill-equipped to deal with whatever problems she had caused.

"Ok…" Mis said taking a calming breath, "What's the plan? How can I fix this?" Mrs. Weber chuckled softly.

"That's why I chose you, Missy. You take everything in stride." Mis could hear the smile in the old woman's voice, and it made her feel a little less disheartened.

"From what I've read of the newly formed last book, there seems to have been something you did to Harry that caused him to fail. I have an idea that could rectify this." Mrs. Weber said. Mis nodded her head slowly.

"I think I may have made him lose faith in Dumbledore, he looked devastated when he found out about Dumbledore's imminent death, and that he wasn't confided in about it." Mis said slowly, remorse at her lack of foresight filling her lungs like cold water. Trying to ignore it, she quickly spoke up again, trying to make her voice light. "So, what's the plan?" She asked.

"I was planning to give you this information anyway, at a later time of course, I can't show all my cards at once…why would I make it less fun for myself?" the old woman said making Mis roll her eyes. O _h, I don_ _'_ _t know… clarity, simplicity, helpfulness?_ the girl thought crossly, but didn't say anything, instead allowing Mrs. Weber to continue. "However, I think it would be better to give it to you now, seeing as the wizarding world is coming apart at the seams." Mis perked up a bit, and began to feel a bit lighter at the woman's words. "Do you know anything about The Veil, Artimis?" Mrs. Weber inquired.

 _No…_ _why would I? I_ _'_ _ve only read the books a hundred times._ she thought, but managed to swallow the sarcasm that threatened to spill from her mouth.

"Like any self-respecting Potter head, I have my theories." she said slowly.

"Off you go" Mrs. Weber said briskly. That was all the encouragement the girl needed.

"Well, the general consensus is that it's a door to the underworld, though I have heard it has something to do with time travel, or even a place where magic is sort of stored and preserved. I lean more toward the idea that it's a doorway to the underworld, that one seems the most likely."

Mis paused her heart picking up again, "Why?" she said tentatively.

"Well you're partially right dear, it is a portal to many different worlds, but you don't need to worry about those now. All you need to concern yourself with is that is a portal to both Elysium and Asphodel." Mis took a sharp intake of breath, she tried to stop her heart from hoping this new information had something to with Sirius. Not trusting herself to speak, she remained in silence, waiting tensely for Mrs. Weber to continue.

"Judging by the gasp, and the following silence, I think I'm safe in assuming you are on the same page as I." said the old woman in a slightly amused voice. Mis attempted to find her voice, but she couldn't so instead she opted to slowly lower herself into a sitting position on the edge of her bed with her mouth open like a fish out of water.

"You know Elysium, and Asphodel right?" Mrs. Weber said with a little uncertainty. Mis snapped out of her shock at the question.

"No, never heard of it." she said sarcastically, "The girl, who was named for Artemis, the virginal goddess of the hunt, childbirth, and the freaking moon, by her insane, Greek-myth-loving parents, never once spoke of the underworld. Lady, I could give a two hour lecture on Tartarus alone…without notes." Mis sniffed in indignation.

"Goodness, my apologies. There's no need to get huffy." said Mrs. Weber quickly. The old woman cleared her crackling throat. "Well, then I'm going to assume you know about Orpheus."

"Uh huh." Mis said hesitantly, waiting for the punchline.

"That's going to be you. You're Orpheus." the old woman said softly, Mis felt her stomach drop and the blood in her body rush numbingly to her limbs. She placed her hand over her mouth.

"Is Sirius… Eurydice?" She asked, her voice muffled by her hand.

"Yes… yes he his." said Mrs. Weber simply. The conversation was doing nothing for Mis's blood pressure, she didn't think having a heart attack was out of the question, as for the second time in less than ten minutes she felt the wind knocked out of her and her heart begin to pound.

"Harry, needs him, Sirius will be a good stabilizer for the boy. I think it will allow us to avoid The Chosen One from going off the deep end." Mis nodded as the woman spoke, her shock beginning to wear off a bit, allowing her mind to look at the situation analytically.

"Hold on… no magic can raise the dead." Mis said, "Why will I be able to bring back Sirius?"

"The portal is meant to usher souls, not bodies, into itself. It was Sirius's body that fell through The Veil, his soul still very much attached it and the magic in his body being pulled and devoured by the underworld. He is still intact…presently. In time, however, his mortal body will…dissolve, for want of a better word, and he will be truly dead. In other words, Mis, you have a deadline…don't ask me when, I'm not privy to that information, however, considering the dire situation regarding Harry, I'd say you need to resurrect Sirius as soon as humanly possible. I thought it was fairly obvious _why_ you'd be able to go through The Veil, it won't be able to latch onto your magic, because you have none." The old woman explained calmly.

Mis felt a giggle begin to build in her throat, and found it hard to concentrate on anything else. Before she could stop herself, she snorted and spluttered as her brain attempted to understand what in the hell was going on.

"I'm…Orpheus." She gasped as giggles began filling the dark room. She felt buoyant, her previous worry almost totally forgotten in the realization that she would be able to bring back Sirius.

Mrs. Weber was silent as the girl continued to giggle herself into a breathless hysteria. After a minute or two, Mis felt herself regaining use of her faculties. After wiping the tears of laughter of her face, she spoke, her voice still holding amusement.

"Well, this has been a rollercoaster of a phone call." she said, "…But I've had a very long day, and I would very much like to…"

"There is one more thing, dear." Mrs. Weber said hastily, cutting Mis of mid-sentence. The young girl rubbed her eyes wearily, and waited for Mrs. Weber to continue.

"He knows you're there. He saw you through his connection with Harry. His curiosity has been peaked, it won't be long before he calls on you." Mrs. Weber said ominously. A person with a healthy sense of self preservation would have a least felt a modicum of fear at such a statement. Mis, however, only felt a fiery thrill at the words. A devilish smile bloomed across her face, and her eyes crackled with mirth.

"Good." she said with dark humor.

Mis awoke to the sound of knocking. Her room was cold, the sky outside was sapphire and still mostly dark through the tall gothic window. Mis groaned as she rolled over to reach her phone on the nightstand. She clicked it, 5:20 it read. She heard several more knocks at her door, more impatient than the ones before. She threw the phone onto the pillow next to her, as if it had done her a personal wrong, and kicked her covers off aggressively. She was only wearing a pink camisole and sleep shorts, so she shivered as she walked towards the door, the chill in the air most unwelcome on her sleep warmed skin.

It had been two in the morning before Mis had finally fallen asleep, as her mind was preoccupied with her conversation with Mrs. Weber. Murder was in her heart as she yanked open the bedroom door. Draco Malfoy was on the other side, one hand raised as if were about to knock again, the other casually plunged into his pocket. He was wearing all black again, the only color in his clothes being the green and silver Slytherin crest on his open school robes. The sight of him caused Mis to feel a little fluttery in her stomach, he looked immaculate. His white blond hair fell into his wintery eyes, somehow without appearing messy or unkempt, more…devil may care.

Mis, however, looked quite feral, with her wild bed head, lack of proper clothing, and flashing dark eyes. He looked at her, and seemed a bit stunned, his face took on a curious expression that was gone too fast for Mis to interpret. He then made a point to look anywhere but directly at her. Mis had an uncharacteristic moment of embarrassment a moment later when her sleep addled brain deduced the cause of his slightly awkward display. She was wearing a very thin camisole, with no bra, and it was uncomfortably cold. Her cheeks reddened, as she crossed her arms.

Trying to master her embarrassment, she leant her shoulder on the door jamb casually.

"If it weren't so disgustingly early, I would have a quip for you about how I've watched a lot of detective shows, and how I'm pretty sure I could commit the perfect murder. I'd go on to say how no one would ever find you, because I'd burn you up and dance on your ashes. Lucky for you, however, the rage and wit within me is still smothered by sleep, so I'd suggest you start talking before I fully wake up." Mis deadpanned, giving Draco her best withering stare.

The young man cleared his throat, looking slightly alarmed as he gave her a quick glance.

"Snape wants to see you in his office." he said in a steady voice, as he straightened himself up to his fullest height, which was a solid foot taller than Mis. The girl gave out a huff of annoyance.

"Did he say why?" she asked.

"No he didn't, I'm merely supposed to take you to him." Draco said, no small amount of disdain creeping into his drawling voice.

"Mustn't trouble the little prince with questions." she mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Said Draco, his ire rising.

"Nothing." she said innocently. "I'll be out in a minute." She added before closing the door, in his appalled face.

Vindictive pleasure ruled as Mis got ready at her complete leisure. She mumbled darkly through her morning rituals, mostly colorful insults about Snape having predilections towards sadistic wake up calls, and barn yard animals. She brushed her hair and teeth, and carefully applied mascara and pink lip tint, before picking out clean clothes from her dresser. She finally settled on a thin, dark green long sleeve, and a pair of lightly faded jeans. It took her altogether about 15 minutes to get ready. She made sure to place her phone safely in the front pocket of her backpack, noting the battery life at 56 percent, not horrible but she figured she should conserve, as she doubted she would come into contact with any outlets that would be compatible with her charger…or any outlets in general.

She checked herself in the bathroom mirror once more before walking to the bedroom door. In opening it, she saw Draco sitting on the grey stone floor, one long leg bent with his arm resting on his knee lazily, and his other hand was weaving his blackthorn wand absently through his fingers. His expression was one of thorough annoyance, Mis got the impression that he was not given to waiting often and that whenever he did it wasn't a pleasant thing to witness.

He was fixing Mis with a death glare from his frost colored eyes, as he stood up gracefully.

"I distinctly remember you saying, and I quote 'I'll be out in a minute', I haven't got all bloody day to wait on you." He said with aristocratic indignation present in his tone, and a sneer on his face. Mis was in no mood to deal with a spoiled trust fund baby, so instead of heeding the calm still voice in her head that advised her to turn the other cheek, she decided to give him a little taste of her acid tongue.

"Was I supposed to care about your time management, or lack thereof? Because I'm afraid I'm all out of fucks to give, they flew away when my blessed slumber was ripped from me." she said pointing a finger at his chest. "Sleep is my one true love, Malfoy, you've killed my one true love. I will have my vengeance, and the early morning does bring out my more violent tendencies."

Draco narrowed his eyes and stepped closer to Mis, until her finger, which was still raised threateningly, poked him just right of his heart. Both had a cold challenge in their eyes, as they squared off, neither willing to back down.

"Is that a threat?" he said in a low voice that, more than anything else, made her want to giggle like a pre-teen schoolgirl, though she did keep her face unyielding. A wicked twinkle lightened her eyes.

"No, if I were to threaten you, I'd say 'If you don't stop being a prick, I'll lock you in a cabinet and make you…" she stood on her tiptoes and leaned closer to his face "…Vanish." she whispered, smirking.

Mis knew she was being foolhardy, but at that moment, she didn't care. _What_ _'_ _s the point of having all this information, unless I can freak people out once and a while?_ she thought to herself. She also knew she was being a little unreasonable, it wasn't Draco's fault Snape had sent him to prod awake a sleeping viper.

At her word Draco's eyes widened minutely, he was shocked by her words, but all things considered, he hid it rather well. She held her position for another few moment before backing down, and taking a step away.

"Come on, I haven't got all bloody day to wait on you." She quipped, flashing him a cheeky grin. She watched in amusement, as he gave her a look of intense dislike and, without saying anything, walked down the hall. She followed him through the dark halls of the castle's lower levels, neither person speaking. She walked at Draco's side, and couldn't help but notice how confident his gait was. He had an air of ownership about him, as if he was certain everything belonged to him. It couldn't really even be classified as a walk, it was more of a strut that indicated how aware he was of his privilege.

Despite all his flaws, however, Mis couldn't fully bring herself to dislike him. She knew too much about him, _That_ _'_ _s the curse of knowledge_ she thought, _You can't hate someone when you understand them_. She wondered as she walked with Draco, if he would leave the Death Eater ranks if given the opportunity, she suspected he only would if his parents were to follow. She knew that in the end, the Malfoy's would defect to the side of light…at the very last minute. She wondered to herself whether it would be possible accelerate the process, and perhaps give them a second chance. They were opportunists, with a rather prominent predilection towards the dark arts, but Mis reasoned that they did, in fact, have a redeeming quality…Their love for each other. It was this thought that caused Mis to conclude that she would, in fact, attempt to help the Malfoy's, in her eyes love _did_ cover up a multitude of sins. She doubted The Order would see it the way she did, though. They would probably crucify her for even suggesting such a thing.

Mis was in such deep thought that she didn't immediately realize Draco had spoken to her. "Sorry, what was that?" she said, looking up at him as he walked in tandem beside her.

"Do you like Hogwarts so far?" he said, sounding a little hesitant. _God, he_ _'_ _s a moody bastard, isn_ _'_ _t he?_ she thought to herself, but she was never one to pass up conversation.

"Oh, I love it." she said honestly, a genuine, sweet smile lighting up her face and eyes. Draco looked down at her, and she noticed her smile had infected him at least a little, because she saw his lip twitch, and his eyes inexplicably turn from an icy, to a tropical blue. "Although…" she said, holding up a finger, "There is a _criminal_ lack of central heating in this castle. I'm used to Phoenix, I mean, when it drops below 80…" She paused in a quick mental calculation. "Which, would be like, what? 25 degrees to you. My family and I pretty much have to break out the winter wear." She laughed fondly. "Such is the struggle of a thin blooded, desert dweller." she said feigning a longsuffering sigh.

"Why don't you just cast a heating charm?" Draco said, his eyes narrowing in both confusion and suspicion. It was only then when she realized her mistake, he couldn't know about her lack of magic yet or that it didn't affect her. _Godammit, that_ _'_ _s what I get for complaining_ she thought, mentally smacking herself in the forehead. Draco knowing that she was non-magical certainly wouldn't do her any favors so early in the game, it would only create questions she wasn't at liberty to answer.

"Oh, I do." She said, thinking fast, "but…they sometimes wear off as I sleep." She gave a sheepish smile. "Charm work isn't really a strength of mine." She gave a light giggle, and prayed she was being convincing.

"What _is_ your strength?" he said skeptically, glancing down at her, as they continued to walk. She gave a more genuine laugh at that, and shook her head.

"What a distinctly Slytherin question." She said, and looked up at him. His eyes seemed to be searching hers with a cold insanity. Her eyes brightened mischievously. "Nice try, but I only show my cards after all the chips are down."

Draco's eyes warmed again slightly, and his lips formed an almost imperceptible crooked smile. "What a distinctly Slytherin answer." He countered, in a deep, playful voice that made Mis flush slightly. She didn't trust Draco's flirtation, she knew his serpent mind was using all the tools he could to get information out of her. She had drawn a little too much attention to herself with her cabinet threat, and now she would reap the consequences. _But_ she thought to herself _it'_ _s still fun to play along_. She gave a soft chuckle. "I'll take that as a compliment." she said lightly. "I meant it as one." he replied smoothly with smirk curling his lips.

A few moments later they reached the door to Snape's office. Draco opened it, and gestured gallantly for her to enter. She resisted the urge to giggle, but a small smile did creep onto her face. The room still smelled like lemon grass, and Mis found herself already associating that smell with Snape.

"You're late, Miss Holtzer." Snape said crossly, rising imperiously from the chair behind his large intricately carved oak desk, his eyes shooting daggers. Mis narrowed her eyes at the man, while crossing her arms, jutting her hip outward and planting her feet. Draco shifted slightly away from her, obviously sensing a conflict brewing.

"Allow me to rebut your comment with three points." she said evenly. She held up one finger, "Firstly, saying I'm late, implies I had an appointment…which I did not." she held up a second finger. "Secondly, it's 5:30 in the freaking morning, God isn't even awake yet!" she exclaimed, before calming herself and holding up a third finger. "Lastly, I'm never late, nor am I early, I arrive _precisely_ when I mean to." She said with a dignified flip of her hair and a re-crossing of her arms, then cocked her head in thought. "You know it's kind of ironic that I just quoted that line to a wizard, considering it was a wizard who initially said it." She snorted at her own observation.

Snape looked up to the ceiling, no doubt, praying for deliverance. Mis was enjoying herself, if Snape thought that he could wake her up and make her miserable, without reaping any consequences, he was sorely mistaken.

"Draco, you are excused." Snape said through gritted teeth, pinching the bridge of his nose with one hand, and giving a curt wave of his other in dismissal. Draco didn't need to be told twice, he gave Mis a small nod, and swept out of the room closing the door behind him.

Snape seemed to regain control of his annoyance, sat back down behind his desk, and gestured for Mis to sit in the chair in front of it. She complied, crossing her legs, and waiting for him to speak.

"The Dark Lord gathered his followers for a meeting last night." He said calmly, folding his hands on the desk, and maintaining steady eye contact with the girl. Mis nodded in acknowledgment. "I spoke with the headmaster, regarding the subject of the meeting, and he indicated that you should be informed as soon as possible." Mis had a suspicion that she had, in fact, been the subject of the meeting, Mrs. Weber had said that Voldemort had become aware of her. Mis was surprised that he was apparently already informing his followers about her.

"It was about me, wasn't it?" she asked calmly.

"I'm afraid it was." Snape confirmed impassively. "How did you know?" he said suspiciously. She waved her hand airily at the question,

"I have my sources." she said with a slight smile.

"Yes…well." said Snape, clearly unimpressed with her evasion, but he didn't press her. "The Dark Lord is intrigued, and he knows of you and of your current whereabouts. He is unaware of your…abilities, shall we say? and your knowledge, however, he suspects you are powerful…Which, as I'm sure you are aware, is rather a unfortunate development, as it could very well result in your capture." Snape drawled. Mis was not overly troubled by this news, she was taking it all in stride. _Besides_ Mis thought lightly _I'_ _m kinda looking forward to meeting the bastard_ _…_ _maybe I can get him to pop a blood vessel or something_ _…I'_ _ll have to work on my ability to annoy_.

Some of Mis' good humor must have shown in her face, because Snape gave an exasperated sigh and shook his head.

"Fool that I am, I thought perhaps you would have a reasonable reaction to the discovered knowledge that the single darkest wizard in history intends to steal you for his own." Snape spoke with disdain.

"I didn't say anything!" she said defensively.

"I can see that devious smirk on your face." replied Snape he said pointing a finger at her. "I find it to be a most troubling expression." he said dryly.

Mis rolled her eyes. "This development has the headmaster concerned about your safety, and the safety of the information you carry. He has insisted you learn how to protect yourself." Mis opened her mouth to interrupt, looking slightly confused, but Snape simply held a hand up for continued silence, she complied. "Magic cannot harm you, however, that does not mean that a Death Eater could not physically overpower you, thus he has arranged for to have combat lessons, which will begin at your earliest convenience." Snape had his pale, long fingered, hands steepled, his hooked nose pressed against them, fixing her with a black fathomless stare.

Mis's own eyes crackled back in excitement. Her father had been a welter weight when he was in his early twenties, and had taught her and her sister about basic self-defense. She had always enjoyed his lessons, and had always wanted to learn more. When it came right down to it though, Mis didn't really want to be in the sort of environment that lends itself to being hit in the face, so she had never perused any classes where that was a possibility. She figured now that the situation was more dire, she would have to, at least partially, get over her aversion to pain.

Mis nodded her head enthusiastically,.

"I'd be down for that, who's my Miyagi?" she said with a smile.

"Pardon?" Snape asked, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Nevermind." she said waving her hand. "Who's gonna be by instructor?" She asked.

"Alastor Moody has volunteered." Snape replied, with a tone that indicated he pitied the man. Mis felt a little giddy, and was trying very hard to abstain from start singing "I'll make a man out of you" from Mulan.

Mis cleared her throat.

"Let get down to business." she said somberly, her serious expression didn't last long however. She started to kink up in little snorts of laughter, at the joke that only she understood. Snape looked at her as if he was worried about her mental stability, this, of course, only made Mis laugh harder. A moment later, Mis got a hold of herself as she remember Mrs. Weber's phone call. "Do you know anything about The Veil, Snape? The one Sirius fell through?" she said her humor fading.

Snape looked rather taken aback by her sudden change in demeanor, and subject. He seemed to wonder briefly whether he should tell her anything.

"I am not overly educated on it. Most of the information regarding it, is considered more legend than fact." He said, and Mis nodded waiting for him to continue. "It is said that Merlin conjured the archway in an attempt to reach the Underworld. There are many different stories regarding his reasoning, nothing is certain. As a matter of fact, nothing regarding The Veil is certain, Merlin supposedly had a several journals chronicling his various expeditions into the archway, but they were said to be destroyed during The Protestant Reformation. Then in 1629 The Ministry of Magic was founded, and the headquarters were built around the archway. They attempted to study it… they sent people through, but those people never came back." He answered her blandly.

Snape let out a sigh. "I may _greatly_ regret asking, but why the interest?" he drawled. Mis considered for a moment how much she should tell him.

"Well, let's just say I'm, in the not too distant future, going to have to break into the Ministry, go through the archway and bring back Sirius." She said, shifting in her chair, and clearing her throat. Snape turned his head, staring at nothing for a solid two minutes, his face totally devoid of emotion. "Are you having a stroke?" she said half joking, half concerned.

"If only, my life could be that simple." He replied, his face still blank, though he did raise a bemused eyebrow.

"So…uh, I'll need your help…with that." Mis said hesitantly. Snape's head jerked around so fast, Mis was concerned he had given himself whiplash.

"You are far too insane for one so young." he deadpanned.

"Duly, noted" She replied with a nod. "So…Will you help me?" she said hopefully, with a small smile.

"Help you?!...I'd rather…Sirius Black?! Help you bring back the man…" Snape blustered, rising from his chair and waving his arms as if he didn't know what to do with himself. He looked quite deranged at the very thought of Sirius being brought back into the realm of the living. Mis stood up as well and put her palms forward, as if she were trying to pacify a spooked horse.

"I know the two of you never got…along. But he _needs_ to be here, for Harry's sake. It's for the greater…"

"If you say 'it's for the greater good', I will set you aflame." said Snape slowly through gritted teeth, leaning over his desk toward her menacingly. Mis snorted.

"Yeah? how ya gonna do that? There's nothing but magic fire around here, and you wizards are too damn impractical to carry matches." She held her hand up to her ear as a mock phone, and held up a 'give me a minute' finger. "I'm sorry, your threat cannot be completed. Please _check_ the threat, and threaten again." she said in a robotic voice. Snape's normally pale face, was turning red. He held a remarkable resemblance to a rattling tea pot, at that moment. Mis was fairly certain that Snape was currently planning her murder, or at the very least, her dismemberment.

After glaring at Mis for few more moments, Snape seemed to deflate, bowing his head wearily, his hands supporting him as he continued to lean on his desk. Mis took a step closer to the desk.

"I know I'm asking a lot, but I can't do this alone, and I trust you to help me more than anyone else. Please?" She said imploringly. Snape looked up at her. She had expression on her face he hadn't seen directed at himself, since he was a teenager. Her normally dark, cutting eyes were wide and hopeful, and filled with unrestricted trust. They seemed to be brighter than normal, and Snape noticed that they were colored like a forest of evergreens, shadowed tree trunks bleeding into dark green leaves.

Mis looked back into Snape's black eyes, they seemed to be searching for something in her own, and they must've found whatever they were looking for, because a moment later they softened. To most anyone else it would be an imperceptible change, but Mis saw it.

"You won't regret it." she said, with a gentle smile.

"I already do Miss Holtzer." he replied, sitting back down in his chair, and gathering a stack of papers to his left and settling in to read them. Mis stood a bit awkwardly for a moment, wanting to say something else, though she wasn't sure what, perhaps an apology, but she considered that wouldn't go over too well. Instead she accepted that she had been dismissed and, quietly, she exited Snape's office, closing the door softly behind her.


	6. A Pointed Lesson

**Author's Note: Hope everyone likes this chapter, I had fun writing it. This is gonna be the start of me picking up the pace a bit with this silly little story, I promise. I love constructive criticism and hearing everyone's opinion, so review...pretty please?**

 **Disclaimer: I never have, nor ever will I own any part of the Harry Potter Franchise.**

 **Chapter 6 : A Pointed Lesson**

With nothing more pressing to do, Mis decided to wander the castle in an attempt to, at least partially, familiarize herself with the vast halls. Hogwarts began waking up after about 40 minutes of her meandering. Students started crowding and moving towards the great hall for breakfast, some looking fresh faced and bright and others, more kindred spirits to her own, looking like dejected zombies.

Mis's stomach rumbled rather viciously, and of their own volition, her feet carried her in the same direction as the student body. The hall was more subdued in its noise than it had been last morning, though it still did projected a constant hum of voices mixed with the clink of silverware. She reached the vast double doors, and walked through, giving the room a cursory glance. She looked up towards the head table and saw Snape already there, looking rather tired and, as always, annoyed.

She walked in between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables, feeling eyes lingering on her back. Mis had never been one to seek out attention, but being in the spotlight was not uncomfortable to her. She knew something that people don't normally learn until their thirties, no one is really paying attention unless you make a spectacle of yourself, and even then they don't analyze whatever spectacle you happened to make as much and you yourself do. This thought kept her head high as she walked up to the head table.

Snape was already sitting in his chair, sipping coffee and reading The Daily Prophet. She sat in her designated chair next to him and, as she did so, Snape, without looking up from his paper, set his cup down and placed the copper coffee pot in front of her silver plate. Mis smiled to herself as she fixed her coffee. Her silver plate filled with eggs over easy, toast, sausage, and strangely enough, tomatoes. She ate quickly, avoiding the tomatoes and, as politely as possibly, the conversation Slughorn was attempting with her. When she finished her breakfast, she made to stand, but before she could, she felt a large hand on her forearm, it was Snape's. He was still not looking up from his paper.

"Your lessons will begin at 3 o'clock this afternoon, in the Room of Requirement." He said in a low voice, so no one else heard.

"Thanks." she said, and he removed his hand from her arm.

Mis had little to do, so again, she wandered around the castle. It wasn't until she got there that she realized she had been subconsciously looking for the library. Walking through the ornate doors, she stepped into her own personal dream world. The bookshelves reached the ceiling, which must've been a hundred feet tall. The distinct smells of dust, old books, and sun warmed leather filling up her nostrils as she took a great breath in, and let it out with a sigh of contentment. It was the smell, and the warmth of the room that made her realize how much she had missed books, though she'd only been separated from her own collection for a mere 4 days.

She picked through the old tomes, fascinated by the intricate drawings and the beautiful, apparently hand written calligraphy. Mis contented herself with touching and gazing at all the books, unconcerned that lunch time had come and gone while she read about magical theory and mythical animals that weren't so mythical in this world. She came across a spell that caught her eye, from what she could gather it was an ancient spell that allows the caster to feel the touch of someone dead. Though they were not dead, the incantation made her think of her family. _Tenere manu mea iterum_ …Hold my hand once more.

For the first time since arriving at Hogwarts, she felt a small pain somewhere in the vicinity of her heart and lungs, she missed her books and her home. As she walked up and down the aisles of the library, she thought of her family. Her heart felt heavy with a strange nostalgia that was both sweet and painful. They could never know about this part of her, this part that was so unreal. They would never understand, how could they? How could anyone from her own world understand, let alone believe her? She had jumped into something she herself, hadn't understood, without even a passing thought to the consequences. She hadn't anticipated how this would alienate her from everything, and everyone she knew.

There were only a few people in the library, searching for books, or studying at some of the large tables in the center of the giant room. Mis walked until she was alone, near the back where the light was slightly dimmer, and the shadows from the restricted section seemed to drive away the sunlight. She perched herself on a large windowsill, hugging her knees to her chest tightly, and her throat feeling thick. She felt so very alone, and it seemed at that moment, that she was like traveler who had wandered ages without a place to truly rest. Tears blurred her vision and she didn't try and stop them from falling. She let herself cry, about home, how much she missed it, and how it would be changed if she were to return to it. She cried for the future she had lost there. She cried because her home didn't seem to belong to her anymore. After what must have been a long time, she calmed down with new determination sparkling in her dark eyes. She would do her best to make this world a better place. Though this world was not her own, at this point, it was as good as.

She wiped away her tears on her shirt sleeve and, sniffling softly, she uncurled herself from her seat. She made her way out of the library, figuring she should clean herself up a bit. She walked briskly to her room to wash her face, hoping no one would see her red eyes. Thankfully, she met no one to hinder her way, and walked into her room. She washed off the makeup she had on, and pulled her dark hair back into a messy bun. Figuring the clothes she was currently wearing weren't suited to the lesson she would shortly taking part in, she searched her dresser for more appropriate attire.

It seemed that the dresser had filled with workout clothes since she had last checked it, and she was pleased to find a pair of yoga shorts, and sporty blue tank top that she promptly put on. She then checked the time on her phone, and was shocked to see it read 2:24. _Nothing wastes time quite like feeling sorry for yourself_ she thought humorlessly. Quickly, she placed her phone back on the nightstand, and grabbed her ASU hoodie, before exiting her room.

It took her some time, but eventually she made it to the third floor corridor and saw the door leading to the room of requirement already materialized. She felt a twinge of nervousness, and excitement as she neared the door. She took a slow deep breath in, plastered a look of calm confidence on her face, and walked into the room.

It looked like a gym, with blue mats scattered in various places on the floor. There was a display of weapons on the far left wall, and several target practice stations on the wall opposite the door. The room was large, about the size of a basketball court with shiny, light wood floors, and a high, well-lit ceiling. To her right was a slightly elevated boxing ring, with towels and bright red cloves handing on the ropes.

"You're dangerously close to being late, girlie." Grumbled Mad-Eye, coming into view. He looked deranged as ever, with his whirling blue eye and his chin length sandy hair that seemed like it had never witnessed a comb. He sported a long dark coat, his staff in hand and his peg leg making clicking noises on the floor as he approached her.

"Close being the key word." Mis replied tartly, softening the delivery with a smile.

"I'm not one for small talk, so follow me." He said crisply. Mis closed the door and walked with Mad-eye to the table that had a display of weapons.

"First things first, do you know anything about fighting." Mad-eye barked, startling her a little.

"Well, I've been told I have cutting wit." She said lightly.

"This isn't a game, girlie. There is no joking about combat." He said loudly, stomping his staff on the floor for emphasis. He towered over her ominously, "You won't be able to speak your clever quips when a death eater has his cold fingers around your neck, enjoying the noises you make as you scratch and claw for a breath that won't be given to you. Nor when thick blood gurgles from your mouth, as you feel a knife slowly cutting through your gut like an overripe summer peach. Your wit won't save you then, little girl." He said in a dark, low voice, staring into her eyes steadily and leaning into her personal space. _Well that escalated quickly_ she thought but instead of pushing him, she just nodded her head and gulped.

"Yes, sir." she said.

"Good, now I'll ask again, what do you know about fighting?" He said with a voice filled with false patience.

"My dad, taught me basic stuff. The most vulnerable parts of the body, and how best to attack them. How to throw your weight into a punch, stuff like that." She said, taking a step away from Mad-eye, as he was still in her space.

"Hmmmm…so nothing?" Mad-eye said, sarcastically.

"Knocked you down, didn't I?" she said, raising a wry eyebrow.

"Ya got lucky, on that one. I was preoccupied." Mad-eye said, dismissively waving his hand.

"With trying to crucio me!" she exclaimed in outrage.

"I didn't say you were wrong for doin' it, just that it was a lucky hit." Said Moody, gruffly. "Enough, which weapon would you prefer?" He said, stopping Mis from speaking again, and gesturing to the table in front of them.

The short bow caught her eye first. It was made of some dark wood, and it looked dangerous just sitting there. _Well my name_ is _Artemis_ she thought, smirking to herself. She picked it up, and ran her fingers along the finely carved runes in the side.

"Very well." said Moody, handing her a few arrows, and walking her over to stand in front of the targets. Feeling decidedly badass, she notched an arrow, bringing it back to her cheek, surprised that the tension was harder than she had anticipated. She let go of the string and arrow, and it fell about two feet in front of her. Mad-eye coughed to hide a chuckle. Mis shot him a dirty look and tried again.

After the fifteenth try she finally got the arrow to shoot, but instead of hitting the target, it hit the stone wall behind it, making a slight crunching noise as the wood splintered before clattering harmlessly to the floor. She turned to Mad-eye looking a bit dejected, he looked amused.

"Chin up, girlie. I could've told you, your no archer. Not the type." He said gently, giving her a pat on the shoulder.

"Now, what's that supposed to mean?" she said, a little defensively, she was feeling disappointed at her lack of ability, and Mad-eyes amusement certainly wasn't helping her rather bruised ego.

"Oh, it's no bad thing" He said bracingly, "You're just a bit too…wild for a bow. Archery is about calm and poise, and I get the feeling you've got too much fire in your blood for that." Mad-eye continued, giving her a gnarled smile, which she couldn't help but return. "Archer's are pansy's anyway, the lot of 'em." He said in a stage whisper, and Mis gave a laugh.

Mis nodded.

"Ok, what _do_ you recommend for me then?" She said, walking back to the table and setting down the lovely dark bow in its original place.

"Oh, I had you figured the second you kicked me." Mad-eye said, a smirk in his voice. Mis turned to him curiously, he was holding out a dark case that, a moment before, had been resting on the table. He opened the case towards her, revealing six daggers. Three were small and sleek, each a solid piece made of glittering dark metal that Mis didn't recognize. On the dark blades were runes and vines etched in silver, each handle inlaid with a green gem streaked with blue veins, carved to resemble a small leaf. The other daggers were slightly larger, but more delicate looking than the black ones. The almost white, silver blades curved slightly, with a clean white jewel inlaid into each dark blue hilt, carved to resemble a waning moon.

Mad-eye fixed her with a calculating stare as she gently picked up one of the dark daggers. Mis was surprised at how heavy it was, it felt foreign and strange in her hand, but not uncomfortable. She set it down and picked up one of the curved daggers, and was surprised to find it warm, as if someone had been gripping it feverishly only a few moments ago.

"Ok, these are pretty awesome." she said with a smile as she place the curved dagger back in the case, and looked up at Mad-eye. "What do I do with them?"

"These…" said Mad-eye placing the case on the table, and taking one dark dagger from the case "… are throwing knives." He said, then set it back down to pick up one with a curved blade. "These, are made for close combat, though they can be thrown as well… in a pinch." Mad-eye said elaborately letting the knife swirl around his wrist. Mis's eyes widened and sparkled excitedly.

"When do I get to learn how to do that?" she said brightly, flapping her hand in the direction of his knife wielding one.

"First you need to learn how to hold the damn thing without shredding the skin off your arm, then I'll teach you how to show off." He said gruffly.

Mad-eye picked up another curved knife and handed it to Mis, indicating she should follow him to the open area in the middle of the room. She did, standing about an arms length opposite him, liking the feel of the slim metal in her hand.

"First, the point… no pun intended, of having a knife is not to start a fight…" Mad-eye pointed the knife at her "…but to end one." He moved with a speed she hadn't thought possible with his wooden leg, lunging towards her and swiftly moving the knife to the base of her throat before she had time to react. "Thus, never engage in a fight unless you intend to finish it." He moved back slowly, her heart beating hard. Mis let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, and rolled her eyes, more at herself than at Mad-Eye.

 _Honestly, is everyone here hell bent on constantly behaving like vaudevillian rejects? Must there be so many theatrical displays?_ she thought to herself in exasperation, but remembering Mad-eye's words earlier, thought it best to keep her observations silent.

"There is philosophy to this art, and yes, this is an art form, however antiquated it may seem at present." Mad-eye said, pacing lazily in front of her like a general in front of a new recruit. "And you will learn the philosophy, as much as the action." He said pausing in front of her briefly, giving her a meaningful once over, before snapping out of whatever thought had occurred to him. "Now, let's begin with grip."

For such a simple thing, Mad-eye placed a great deal of importance on this first element of her training. So much so, that at one point she considered stabbing herself in the ears if she heard the phrase "extension of your hand" just one more time. Rolling her eyes she centered herself with the knife in her hand, with a flick of his staff, he knocked the knife from Mis' hand to the floor with a clang.

"Your grip is rigid." He barked "loosen it." He said while she bent to retrieve the knife.

"I can't loosen it, I have no control when it's loose." She said shortly, once again getting into a centered position.

"You have no control anyway, and don't back talk, just do what I bloody well say." He said, taking her knife holding hand and wrapping his own around it. "Feel the balance, center it in your palm, until it feels as though the metal is seeping into your skin." Mis took a breath, and wrestled down the Yoda reference she was dying to make. She felt her hand relax into the knife, and after a moment of concentration, she noticed it really did feel like the metal was almost binding with her hand. "Better." said Mad-eye "Now the other hand."

When Mad-eye was finally satisfied with her grip… in both hands. He made her pick up a dark knife, and made her repeat the exercise of concentrating on the knife. It was an hour before he took the dark knife from her hand, picked up the other two from the case, and placed her in front of the targets. "Now…" he said twirling one dagger to catch it by the blade in mid-air, "…The goal right now is _not_ to throw with has much force as possible, rather with precision. The dagger should only make one revolution before it hits the target, so you'll need to gauge the speed of your spin. The longer the distance, the slower the speed spin. Keep your goddamn posture straight, it's all in the wrist, and face the target head on, none of that bloody side stance, yes?" He threw the dagger with an effortless flick of his wrist, it sang metallically before hitting the very center of the target with a solid thump.

Mis nodded her head, and took the dagger Mad-eye offered to her by the blade.

"Not yet, I'll teach ya how to throw it from the blade later, we're focusing on basics now." She rolled her shoulders and took a breath to loosen up while feeling the hilt in her palm. _Please be better than the bow_ she prayed swiftly as she threw the knife. It swished through the air, and impacted hard on the very edge of the target. She held out both her hands toward the target in astonishment.

"Hell yes!" she said jumping up, "did you see that?!" Mad-eye gave her a level look.

"I told you it not about the bloody force yet, I want you to be accurate." He said, his tone frustrated. He walked over to the target, "It spun three goddamn times instead of one, you put your whole body behind the throw, and your posture was shite." He said over his shoulder. Mis huffed out a breath.

"At least I hit it." she mumbled to herself.

"What was that?!" barked Mad-eye irritably, pausing in extricating the knife from the target.

"Nothing." she said lightly, maintaining an innocent look, as Mad-eye walked back over to her.

"Do it again."

After two hours, Mis had managed to hit the target several more times, but never with the degree of accuracy that Mad-eye required. She was having a great deal of trouble trying to balance the knife and throw it at the proper speed so as to keep the knife in one rotation. Mad-eye made her alternate hands, and her left side seemed to be totally devoid of any kind of coordination, much to Mis and Mad-eye's dismay. Closing in on 6 in the evening Mis' arms were burning, as were her shoulders and stomach. She suggested that they call it a day, and Mad-eye suggested she should "shut the hell up, and quit being a sniffling girl."

So Mis bit her tongue and pushed through the pain, and by a quarter after 7 Mad-eye showed mercy. Mad-eye clapped her on the shoulder and she winced.

"Alright girlie" he said with a chuckle. "You're done, go grab a bite of dinner, soak in a hot bath, and get a good nights sleep." Mis rubbed her neck, and wiped the sweat off her forehead with her arm. Mad-eye offered her a glass of water that had appeared on the nearby weapons table, and she took it gratefully, gulping it all down in manner of seconds.

"You'll need to get in better shape if you want to have any amount of endurance." Mad-eye said more to himself than Mis, and she nodded absently. She was thinking about what she was going to eat for dinner longingly, so she really wasn't paying attention to him anymore.

"Now off with ya…" Mad-eye said waving her out the door, "and mind what I said." He added sternly. She nodded silently, too tired to really articulate anything. They walked out of the room of requirement together, as the door dissolved into the wall, Mis turned to Mad-eye.

"Thank you, Mr. Moody." she said, perhaps a little formally, holding out her hand.

"It's no trouble, girlie. I've not had the chance to really train someone since I took on Nymphadora, and I've missed it." He said, in a gruff but still kind voice. He took her hand and shook it, it felt rough but warm, and she gave him a genuine smile that lit up her face. He returned a small smile.

"There's no need to call me "mister", call me what you like." Mis smiled even brighter at that, but this time a mischievous twinkle could be seen in her dark forest colored eyes.

"You may regret that statement later." she said warned in a slightly singsong voice.

"Aye, probably." He replied, with a wink and a smile. Mad-eye turned and walked down the corridor without another word, and Mis took off in the other direction.

She debated going back to her room to change out of her workout clothes, but decided it was simply too much of a hassle. She walked into the great hall in all her sweaty glory, unconcerned with the attention she was garnering with her yoga shorts and tank top. Someone wolf whistled from the Slytherin table, which made her roll her eyes in exasperation. _Men, are the same everywhere_. she thought, but she was too hungry, sore, and tired to muster up any real bitterness in the observation. She made her way to the head table and took her place next to Snape.

Mis caught Snape raising an eyebrow at her disheveled state. She gave him a challenging look.

"Go ahead, comment, I dare you." she said in a low voice.

"I haven't the faintest idea what you mean, Miss Holtzer." He said in a bored voice, before looking away, and taking a sip from his silver goblet. She nodded her head slowly.

"S'what I thought." she said darkly, and Snape rolled his eyes. A few moments later, her plate filled with herb crusted roast beef, steaming autumn vegetables, and a mountain of mashed potatoes with butter dripping down the sides.

She didn't even think twice, she dug in, trying to maintain some semblance of decorum that eventually fell by the wayside. So much so, that at one point Snape cleared his throat, and she looked over at him to find him staring at her with mixture of distaste and confusion.

"Have you no dignity?" he said, in a tone that almost implied he was genuinely curious. Mis pointed her fork, which had a chunk of beef speared through it, at Snape.

"I'll be dignified when I'm dead, Snape, and not one moment before." she said, punctuating the last three words with a jab of her beef skewered utensil, before pointedly eating the morsel.

A loud crash sounded in the great hall that made Mis' head whip around, causing her to simultaneously make an embarrassing squeak noise and drop her fork with a clatter on her silver plate.

"What _am_ I supposed to do, Hermione?!" shouted Harry Potter, standing up from his bench seat, and spreading his arms out questioningly. "You're the smart one, yes? So tell me what _should_ I do?!" he questioned angrily, and the bushy haired girl tried to hush him and get him to sit back down. Mis couldn't make out her quiet voice, but what she said must have not been the answer Harry wanted, because the next moment he shook his head bitterly and stomped out of the room.

The room went deadly silent, everyone slightly shocked at the strange outburst. Mis glanced at Snape, who had a look of longsuffering annoyance on his face.

"Potter… always with the goddamned theatrics." He said irritably, giving Mis a 'See what I have to put up with?' face.

"Oh, you're one to talk, Captain Flowing-Robes-Of-Midnight. Everything you wizards do is a fucking performance piece." She deadpanned. She thought a moment about the display she had just witnessed.

"We need to get Sirius…" She started somberly.

"Quiet!" he said cutting Mis off in an urgent whisper. "Not here, we'll discuss it tomorrow." He said slowly through gritted teeth.

"Right." she conceded, and finished her dinner.

With her stomach full, she bid Snape goodnight which he replied to with an affirmative grunt. She walked down the drafty corridors, trying to find some hall she recognized, to no avail. The lamps were burning low, and she began to feel a little uneasy as the sleepy silence of the castle pressed against her eardrums. Thinking she heard footsteps, she paused briefly in her walking, squinting in the half-light. She saw a muddled figure in the dark, just beyond the reach of the lamp burning above her, freezing her where she stood. Her heart pounded painfully, and her aching muscles forgot their pain as adrenaline pulsed through them at high voltage. The dark figure moved slightly closer, and Mis suddenly wondered at her own stupidity. _I will not be one of the idiots that doesn_ _'_ _t run properly in a horror movie_ she thought resolutely, before turning on her heel and barreling down the corridor at a breakneck speed.

She ran as fast as she could, twisting sharply around corners, and fleeing down a spiral staircase three steps at a time. She kept up a steady stream of profanity in her head as she bolted down the halls. Rounding one last corner, she saw before her, a hall she recognized, and knew her room was close. Several second later she reached her door and yanked it open, swept inside, closed it and leant her back against it trying to steady her rabid heart beat. She sunk to the floor in relief, and as the excitement fled away and her breathing stabilized, the muscle pain returned.

Now in the comfort of her room, she tried to convince herself that it had all been an overreaction brought about by weariness, but something about the figure felt strange. Like it had been watching her for the entire day, but she had only just noticed it. She had felt threatened by it in the moment, but looking back at the encounter, she had the sense that it didn't mean her harm. No, now that she thought about it, the feeling she really got from it was…curiosity.


	7. Dragon Burns

**Author's Note: Hi everyone, action is gonna start picking up from here, so I hope you like it. I love to hear your thoughts, so leave a review letting me know what you think.**

 **Also, be advised, I'm awful at proof reading...don't hate me.**

 **Disclaimer: As always, I own nothing**

 **Chapter 7: Dragon Burns**

The first week of training with Mad-eye was, in a word, arduous. Mis would find herself nearly breaking into tears of pain and exhaustion after each lesson. She spent the better part of 4 hours a day training with the old bastard, and that wasn't including the 45 minute jog and strength training he demanded she do every day before breakfast. He was a ruthless coach, who didn't tolerate back talk, complaining or anything less than perfection. He was heavy with criticism, and praise was practically a foreign concept to him. Mis was surprised to find, however, that she loved every back breaking second of it. She was desperate to prove that she had endurance, and would not break. This was the only thing Mad-eye complimented her on, her fierce determination.

When she wasn't training with Mad-eye, she spent most of her downtime in Snape's company, helping with filing or simply sitting quietly in his office, reading anything she could find about The Veil. Mis was even pleased to find Snape speaking more freely with her, offering helpful tips on how to treat sore muscles, or commenting on the goings on in the school. She wondered if he had ever had someone to simply talk to, someone that he could speak with about how his day went, or someone with which he could share his often disdainful observations. She tried to avoid that train of thought however, it hurt her, and she knew the answer. So Mis was very happy to be a friend to Snape, and offer her company.

Snape and Mis had also been spending time together in order to plan for her break into the Ministry. Snape was a master at planning, a veritable god of planning, and though Mis could tell he was still not thrilled with the idea of bringing his lifelong enemy back from the dead, she was grateful for his dedication to helping her reach that goal. Snape had been keeping an eye on Harry as best he could, and had told Mis he could see the boy declining not only in his grades but also with his friends. Apparently, Harry was becoming aggressive even towards teachers, earning him three detentions in only a week, and Snape began seeing that the situation was as dire as Mis had indicated.

What with her training, Siruis' impending resurrection, and Harry Potter becoming slightly psychotic, Mis suspected this damn world was hell bent on greying her prematurely. Mis was therefore grateful that Mad-eye let her rest on Sunday. She was laying in her bed at 9 am, wondering if she would even be physically capable of walking to breakfast when there was a gentle tap on her door. She did consider getting up and opening the door, but pain prevailed as she shouted "It's open."

The door opened, and what Mis saw practically brought tears to her eyes. Dobby was carrying a large silver tray, with the most delectable looking pancakes piled almost comically high, a still sizzling plate of bacon, fluffy yellow eggs, and bowl of ripe summer berries topped with whipped cream. Mis sat up in bed, groaning as her muscles protested the movement, and Dobby pranced over to her happily with his giant ears flopping and his giant eyes looking bright.

"Good Morning Missy Holtzer, Dobby has made you breakfast!" He said cheerily. Mis couldn't help the goofy smile that lit up her face at the elf as he placed the tray on her lap.

"This is absolutely wonderful, you didn't have to trouble yourself, but it is my favorite." Mis said looking at the elf, who shuffled his feet modestly.

"Headmaster, told Dobby you've been working hard, and Dobby noticed you not being at breakfast this morning, and took it upon himself to make sure you weren't to miss a good breakfast." The elf said proudly, puffing his chest out importantly, as if making sure Mis ate was the most honorable job in the world. Mis giggle happily at his conviction and again thanked him profusely for being so kind.

Mis and Dobby chatted as she ate her breakfast and, by the time she was finished, Mis learned something she hadn't suspected about house elves… they are terrible gossips. Dobby told her all the juicy details regarding a certain love triangle that was apparently causing utter pandemonium in the school kitchens, with the three individuals causing a rift in the elf staff.

"…but Dobby stays out of it." the elf said resolutely, shaking his head sternly.

"Well, keep me posted. I've gotta say though, if Daisy doesn't make a decision soon, she'll end up alienating Banksy, she shouldn't string him along like that." Mis said to the elf, in her no nonsense voice and shaking her head in disapproval.

"Dobby, says the same thing to her…" the elf replied throwing his thin arms in the air in exasperation, and proceeding on a tangent that Mis listened to with rapt attention.

After talking for a bit longer, Dobby cleared away the empty tray, and ordered Mis to take a shower and get dressed.

"Ok, pushy." she said with a fond smile while climbing out of bed painfully. The elf simply pointed at the bathroom in reply. The hot shower helped her stiff body, but not enough to make her walk like a normal person, she expected to be hobbling around for quite a while until her body acclimated to the strenuous training.

Snape had informed her that there was to be a quidditch game between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and that she was expected to attend. Mis wondered briefly what to wear, then decided on the clothes that hinted at no ties to either team. She threw on a pair of black jeans, and a thin grey sweater. She checked her phone for the time, which was 10:30 on the dot. Then turned it off, as the battery was dipping lower each day, and tucked it into her backpack.

She walked lazily to Snape's office, enjoying the castle in the late Sunday morning. It had a carefree feeling to it, the castle itself and its inhabitants seemed to be full of excitement and a simple kind of happiness that doesn't require analysis. She soaked in it like a sunflower facing east, and by the time she strolled up to Snape's office door she looked like a beaming sun ray herself, for all she was smiling so bright. She didn't bother knocking, partially because she knew Snape would be expecting her, but more so because it irked him to no end that she could walk wherever she pleased without being impeded by magical locks.

"Morning, Snape." Mis said pleasantly, as she walked into the room and sat down on her designated red leather chair next to the brightly burning stained glass lamp.

"It could hardly be classified as morning, Holtzer." Snape said from behind his desk, not gracing her with a glance. He was sitting with a straight back, and a bowed head over some papers, which Mis assumed to be lesson plans.

"Anything before noon is morning." She said absently, picking up a large grey leather book, titled _A Guide unto Death_ , from antique stand next to her chair and flipped through it to find the place where she had stopped last evening.

"Don't get comfortable, we leave in ten minutes for the pitch." Snape said while his quill scratched on the parchment before him. Mis gave a grunt of affirmation.

"Pardon?" said Snape, Mis grunted again. "Pardon?" He said again, Mis grunted again louder.

"Pardon?" grunt, "Pardon?" grunt "Pardon?" grunt "Pardon?"

"Oh my god, yes, Ok!?" Mis exclaimed.

"It speaks." said Snape wryly, Mis looked up from her book to glare at the man as he continued his writing, then stopped and cocked her head in shock.

"That was a joke." she said, narrowing her eyes at Snape, who kept ignoring her. _Snape just joked with me_ _…_ _I may be fucking up this world beyond repair_ she thought to herself.

"No, it wasn't. It was a way to annoy you. Consider it the first of many interactions needed to give you a sip of your own potion." Snape deadpanned, dipping his quill in the ink pot. "Dangerous game you're playing, Snape." She said in a light warning tone.

"I'll starting singing at the top of my lungs, through the halls, and all through the quidditch match, if you don't admit that was a joke." she threatened. The scratching quill stopped abruptly, and Snape looked over at Mis, who had her head bowed over her book, and a smirk playing on her lips. He narrowed his eyes.

"You're bluffing." he said.

"I never bluff." she assured him. "I'll do it." she threatened again. "Hey…" she said looking up excitedly, "…maybe I'll teach 'We Will Rock You' to the Gryffindor team, everyone needs more Queen in their life."

"It was a bloody joke… satisfied?" said Snape sighing in defeat. "If you teach that song to anyone at this school, I'll detach your larynx with a spoon." He said darkly. Mis gave him a curious look.

"You know Queen?" she said, slightly shocked.

"Of course I know Queen. You are aware this is the United Kingdom?" He said looking at her like she was mentally defective.

"You're not talking about _The_ Queen right? We're talking about the band." She said narrowing her eyes, her expression half serious, half joking.

"Obviously." he replied, sounding offended. She held up her hands in mock surrender, smiling slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't know wizards listened muggle music." She said, making her tone overly tactful.

"They don't. I, however, am quite fond of it." Snape paused "…some of it." he added with dignity.

A few minutes later Mis and Snape left for the pitch, Mis interrogating Snape on his music preferences, which he totally ignored.

"Come on…" she begged, walking through the grand Hogwarts entrance into the sunny day, and jumping slightly like a begging toddler "Tell me just one song? It doesn't even have to be your favorite!" she said, trying to give him a doe eyed pleading stare. Snape was having none of it, he walked beside her, totally silent. His long dark robe, immaculate even in the bright sun, billowed impressively in the breeze and made him look paler than usual in the day's cheerful brightness. She was struck with a feeling of such intense surreal-ness at her current reality, that it momentarily rendered her silent. She snapped out of it a second later and continued to beg Snape.

"I won't stop, I swear to god, I'll keep asking until you tell me one." she said warningly, as she and Snape walked along the autumn campus. Snape paused in his walking and turned to her, letting out a huff of annoyance. Mis looked at him expectantly.

"Cuts you up by Peter Murphy." He said in a low voice, as if were terrified someone would hear. Mis raised her eyebrows, and smirked slightly

"Seriously?" she said, a bit impressed. Mis paused in contemplation a moment, and Snape walked briskly away from her. "The guy from Bauhaus?" She clarified, her eyes distant in thought as she ran to catch up with him. "…or is that Peter _Gabriel_?" She muttered to herself, frowning at her lack of memory.

"No, No, Peter Gabriel is from Genesis." She said, nodding to herself. "You know, now that I think about it… that fits. I would've pegged you for a Smiths man, before I met you though."

"The Smiths?!" He exclaimed in outrage. "Dear god, those tirelessly whining children?! Morrissey, is essentially a 90 pound weakling, who thought it prudent to capitalize on his supposed angst, all of which stems from his inability to "get what he wants"." Snape fumed, throwing in air quotes on the last words, and shaking his head as if to rid himself of a the memory of The Smiths.

"Hey, they had some good songs…" Mis said, then proceeded to list some of her favorite. They reached the pitch, Mis following Snape to their seating in the box elevated from the students, which she referred to as the "teachers bleachers." All the while Mis maintained a stream of debate regarding The Smiths, which Snape continued to refute.

The sun was pleasantly warm against her skin, though the breeze had a bite that hinted at winter. She shivered slightly, a few minutes after seating themselves in the front row, as the wind picked up and bled through her thin long sleeve.

"Are you cold?" Snape said, in a tone that could almost be mistaken for concern.

"Yes." she replied dejectedly, turning her head to find him looking at her.

"What a shame." he said dryly, his black eyes holding a touch of mirth, no doubt brought on by her discomfort.

"Heartless bastard." she mumbled, looking out at the pitch as well.

"Flattery will get you nowhere." He said in his best 'tsk tsk' voice. Mis couldn't help but snort at that.

The stands were mostly empty when Mis and Snape took their seats, and Mis took that time to appreciate the view that the high stands offered. She could see the sun glittering sharply on the black lake, making it, and even the Forbidden Forest seem happy and bright. The air had a crisp, clean smell to it, and Mis suspected she would be truly miserable when the temperature dropped in a few weeks' time. She herself felt light and airy, distinctly unburdened, and even a touch excited at getting to see her first Quidditch match.

It didn't take long for the bleachers to fill with a swarm of students, buzzing like a hive, with unconfined excitement. Then the staff filed in, she tried to duck her head as she saw Slughorn approach up the stairs, but she was spotted and he gave an enthusiastic wave, which she begrudgingly returned with a bland smile on her face. He approached the empty chair to her left, but Dumbledore, god bless him, sat down next to her first. He was wearing long robes in an alarmingly bright shade of magenta with intricate gold embroidery along the sides, that he pulled off surprisingly well, ' _He'_ _s the only one who_ _'_ _s capable of wearing something like that, while still looking wise_ ' she thought to herself.

"Good morning, Miss Holtzer." He said with a cheery smile, "Professor Snape." he acknowledged with a nod that Snape returned stiffly. Mis leaned to Dumbledore.

"Nice robes." Mis said seriously "Definitely bold, but you make it work." She said motioning up and down with her hand, a touch of good humor in her voice. Snape coughed beside her, and Dumbledore let out a deep laugh.

"Why thank you, my dear. I've always thought one should wear that which provides expression." He said conversationally.

Dumbledore and Mis chatted amiably about clothing until a loud voice broke her stream of thought.

"Welcome teachers and students to the very first quidditch match of the year." The voice was male and slightly bored and pompous sounding, but the statement garnered a loud cheer from the crowd. "Playing today are Slytherin versus Gryffindor. This is also the debut of the new Gryffindor captain Harry Potter." There was a loud roar from the maroon and gold side of the stands.

The announcer proceeded to call off the names of everyone on both teams as the entered the pitch, with their brooms in hand. She was surprised to see Draco Malfoy in his Slytherin quidditch robes, walking onto the sand, and giving a wave to the green and silver side of the arena as his name was called. 'What the hell?' she thought to herself 'He's not supposed to be playing, he's supposed to be on his murder quest'. It had been such a cheerful day up until that point, as she got a sense of intense foreboding.

'This isn't right' she kept thinking to herself in an internal chant of anxiety. She continued to look down upon the players all gathered on the field, barely capable of blinking. Draco said something in the direction of the Gryffindor team that she could see, even from her high place, didn't go over well. Harry made to charge toward him, but was stopped by Ron and Ginny, both of whom seemed to be gripping either of his arms with a vice-like hold and whispering urgently in his ear. 'Don't be stupid, Malfoy' she thought, almost like a prayer.

Her heart beat was erratic, as the players mounted their brooms and kicked off from the ground, gliding up into the air and to their respective sides. The quaffle was released, as well as the bludgers and the golden snitch. Mis took little notice in the actual game, and instead watched Harry. 20 minutes in, Slytherin took the lead, and Mis went ridged on the edge of her seat darting her eyes between Harry and Draco.

"What the bloody hell is the matter?" said Snape, leaning slightly and whispering in her ear with a urgent, dark voice.

"Nothing." she said automatically, not really paying attention, all her focus on Harry.

"Then why can I feel your goddamn talons attempting to mutilate my arm?" Snape said through gritted teeth. Mis then realized she was clutching Snape's forearm intensely, digging her nails into the black, thick fabric of his robes. She loosened her grip but didn't move her hand, Snape's arm seemed to be steadying her in some way, and she was not willing to relinquish that at present.

"This isn't right… Draco isn't supposed to be playing. He's taunting Harry and there is no possible way this could end well." Mis said in a hushed voice. She could tell Snape was unsettled by her statement, though she didn't look at him, she could feel him tense minutely beneath her hand.

"Are you not going to do something?" Snape drawled, making sure to keep his eyes on the game.

"What kind of question is that?!" she said incredulously, trying to keep her voice low. "What the fuck can I do?!" she said in the same tone, briefly glancing at him from the corner of her eye. Mis watched as Harry suddenly dove towards a flicker of gold, and Mis prayed that he would catch it quickly, so the game could just end without incident.

Mis had no such luck, because the next thing she saw was a blur of green robes and white blonde hair dart in Harry's direction. The two young men flew alongside each other, dipping and weaving through the players, with their hands reaching desperately for the minuscule golden snitch. The two seekers dove until they were only several feet from the ground, then both straightened their brooms at the very last moment to avoid colliding with the sandy pitch. Draco gave Harry the slightest of body checks, causing him to lose speed for only an instant. Unfortunately, all Draco need was an instant. The green clad young man, molded more closely to his broom giving him the extra speed he needed to reach the snitch and pluck it from the air.

"Draco Malfoy, has caught the golden snitch, Slytherin wins." Said the announcer over the magical PA with no attempt to hide his apparent boredom. Draco pumped his hand in the air victoriously, the gold ball fluttering in his hand. He lazily flew high in front of the Slytherin stands, and roared victoriously. Mis glanced over at Harry, he was floating near to the ground, and she thought she could see him vibrating. His back was to her, and not being able to see his face was causing Mis horrible discomfort. She saw Harry's head twitch violently as if something was crawling into his ear, and Mis jerked as well.

Draco continued to roar and cheer, along with all the other Slytherins, and Mis was horrified to see him turn very deliberately in Harry's direction, and wink at him, an arrogant smirk crossing his lips. Mis knew what was going to happen next, and she was hopelessly unable to do anything about it. Her heart spiked as she saw Harry reach into his sleeve, withdrawing his wand rapidly, before waving his arm wildly and casting a vicious beam of neon purple light at Draco. There was a collective gasp as the curse collided with Draco's chest, knocking him off his broom to fall limply, his arms and legs disturbingly pliable as the air rushed past them. No one had time to react before he hit the ground with a grotesque crunch, and his body bounced like a rag doll.

Mis scrambled of her chair, and leaned over the steel railing trying frantically to see any movement in Draco's body. Mis was mentally paralyzed, and her mind was rejecting the scene unfolding before her.. An uncanny silence fell, Mis was acutely aware of it. The silence of such a large crowd added to the surreal scene she was witnessing before her eyes. That mundane observation brought her out of her immobility, and she lunged towards the stairs, racing down them three steps at a time. Reaching solid ground, she sprinted towards the Draco.

She fell to her knees beside him, her legs giving way. His body was heavy as she gently rolled him onto his back. His face looked like charred meat, there were dark splotches on every inch of skin she could see, with orange embers glowing through the charcoal cracks. His pale face had angry red lines that looked like someone had seared him with a white hot iron rod. Her hands hovered frantically over him, unsure of what she should do or what she should address first.

'Pulse' she thought mechanically, and she placed two fingers delicately on his scaling neck. She felt no movement. Snape lent down next to her on one knee, "I can't feel a pulse." she said in a low, steady voice to him. She was desperately trying to remain calm and think clearly, though her body was shaking with pent up adrenaline. She removed her hand, and Snape acted by pointing his already drawn wand on the left side of Draco's chest, murmuring soft musical words that made a mild yellow mist leave the tip. Draco's body shuddered as the mist absorbed through his jersey into his skin. Mis held her breath for the five seconds it took for Draco to arch his back and suck in a crackling gasp.

His arctic eyes found her dark ones. They were pleading, and Mis felt completely useless under their pained scrutiny. Still looking into her eyes, he let out a vicious guttural scream that made her skin prickle. He started to convulse on the ground, his throat choking out wet gurgles, and splutters. Suddenly he stopped, his body limp once again. Mis looked at Snape frantically, a look of horror on her face.

"He's passed out." he said "He needs to be taken to the hospital wing." Snape levitated his body off the ground, and began briskly walking towards the castle, Draco's body floating at his side at the same speed.

Mis leaned back on her bent knees, and placed her hands on her thighs. Her body shook with each heavy beat of her heart, as she looked around with dazed eyes. The students were craning their necks, looking at Mis knelt on the sand, and Snape's retreating form. Teachers were ushering them to the stairs and off the field, while the Gryffindor and Slytherin quidditch teams, their faces pale and shell shocked, both slowly floated to the ground and dismounted their brooms.

Mis felt a tension in her chest, and her eyes wandered along the field trying to spot Dumbledore. She couldn't see him, nor could she see Harry. A clinical anger settled in her blood, hardening her eyes, and making her soft face look like carved marble. She took a deep breath and stood up, trying to be steady. This was not a situation where she would allow her emotions get the better of her. The disappointment she felt towards Harry was making it difficult. The disillusionment she felt was making her throat feel raw and painful. Above all, however, she felt responsible for Harry's anger. If she had been more delicate with the information she carried, the whole situation could've been avoided. Regret and anger at herself seemed to be spreading through her veins, pulsing through her heavily with each beat of her heart.

Suddenly, two ideas wormed their way into her mind, and it felt like shockingly cold water falling over her head, clearing it and sobering her. 'Sirius' was her first thought, just his name echoing hopefully in her mind, he was the solution. The next was 'Dumbledore is finally going to expel Harry'. Her logical mind was inactive, and that single thought was enough to jolt her body forward. She ran towards the castle, her mind only capable of vigorously chanting 'I can't let that happen'.

She ran through the grounds, until her lungs burned. She reached the entrance to the castle, a swarm of student filing in slowly. Mis had no consideration as she knocked pass them all, her mind was fixed and they were obstacles that she had no tolerance for. Extricating herself from the group through shoves and jostles, she reached the inside not aware of the confused and annoyed comments being hurled at her back as she ran down the cold stone hall.

Finally, she reached the gargoyle, feeling as though her legs would give way under her. Between swallows and gasps, she managed to choke out the ridiculous candy password that caused the stone stairs to rise in a spiral.

Her breathing was still labored as the stairs stopped in front of the headmasters ornate office door. She lunged at the door, barging in unceremoniously to find Harry and Dumbledore sitting in two large chair, facing each other. The room was totally silent, but there was heavy tension in it. She could almost hear the echo of shouting that rung through the glass paraphernalia that decorated every inch of available space. Both faces turned to her, Harry had a strange wild anger in his vivid green eyes, and Dumbledore appeared deeply troubled.

"Ok." she said breathing heavy, "Let me start out by saying, it's my fault." She bent herself at the waist, her hands planted on her slightly bent knees. She felt light headed, and spots were forming in her vision.

"Miss Holtzer." Said Dumbledore, slightly alarmed. "Please have a seat." She heard the rustle of his robes draw near to her, and felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. She nodded, and allowed herself to be ushered to the seat previously occupied by the old man.

She fell into it, her body still hunched in on itself, vaguely thinking that Mad-eye was right about her not being in good enough shape. A few moments passed in the room, filled with only the sound of her heavy but incrementally slowing breath. She straighten up, her heart no less hectic, but her lungs steadied enough to communicate.

"I'm sorry Dumbledore, I've done you all a disservice. I came here with an idea of how things ought to be, and I'm realizing I've made a mistake." She said looking up at the old mans blue eyes, and for the first time felt exposed beneath their gaze. She didn't duck her head in shame though, despite her regret, she stared back proudly, allowing herself to see her error through his eyes like a soldier awaiting punishment.

She expected to see disappointment, mistrust and even anger in the old mans eyes, but nothing negative appeared. She saw only a deep understanding and kindness, so sharp and clean, that she felt her heart being sliced by it. Mis inhaled deeply, turning to Harry, whose face was a blotchy red and holding an expression that could only be described as loathing.

"I had knowledge that I thought you deserved to know, Harry, but I didn't consider how the information would affect you." She said, steadily maintaining eye contact. "I was arrogant, and I acted carelessly. I am so sorry." she said fervently, wishing she could pour the regret that had settled into her heart out onto the floor like rancid water, so both Harry and Dumbledore could inspect it for sincerity. Harry didn't seemed at all moved by her apology, he just stared at her with the same cruel look of loathing on his face. Then slowly he leaned forward, his eyes flashing red for a millisecond.

"It. Doesn't. Matter." He said in a low menacing voice, each syllable deliberate and cold.

Mis closed her eyes slowly, her logical mind clinging desperately to the fact that Harry was not in his right mind. She turned to Dumbledore and saw the shame she felt mirrored in the plains of the headmasters aged face.

"Harry, please." the old man said. Mis glanced at Harry and, for an instant, saw pain trying to spill out of his bright green eyes, but it vanished quickly as it had come, leaving only the strange mask of hatred in its place.

"Miss Holtzer, perhaps you should check on Mr. Malfoy." The old man said as gently as he could, Mis wanted to argue, she was no longer worried that the headmaster would expel Harry, but she didn't want to leave the room all the same. The solemn look that Dumbledore gave her, however, silenced her and she merely nodded. She rose from her chair, and walked to the door feeling heavy, and lethargic.

Mis walked through the castle on auto pilot, her legs beginning to feel wobbly and sore as she made her way to the hospital wing. Her heart was weighed down with guilt, but it clung to the idea of Sirius. The hope of bringing him back burned soft and bright in her chest, and she had no intention of letting this one day extinguish it. Harry would be ok, she would make sure of it. She was hell bent on making sure her idiocy didn't cost them the war.

She reached the cool, sterile infirmary hall, to find a group of Slytherins, some in quidditch robes, milling around outside the large double doors. Projecting authority she didn't feel, she walked past them as they watched her with worried faces. Quietly she walked through the door, and saw Snape and Madame Pomfrey bustling over the burned, motionless body of Draco Malfoy. She walked over briskly, and stood stiffly at the foot of his bed. There were a myriad of various glass bottles in different colorful hues, and shapes strewn on the steel rolling tray next to the mediwitch. They had removed his clothes except for a pair of dark blue boxers, and Mis could see charred streaks along his pale torso and red shiny streaks along his arms and legs, as well as deep purple bruises flourishing like giant deformed flowers up his sides. His breathing was soft and shallow, and some of his limbs were bent awkwardly, twisted because of his broken bones. It was enough to make her feel slightly ill, and the guilt she had begun to carry reared violently in her stomach, as she looked down at his fracture body.

"Holtzer." barked Snape, making her jump. "I'd appreciate it if you stopped ogling Mr. Malfoy, and instead made yourself useful." He said, his voice quick and sharp as he applied a milky, dark green salve to Draco's blackened face. She nodded mutely. "Here." he said shoving the small glass jar that contained the ointment in her hand, "Apply liberally to the affected areas." He swept away toward the potion store cabinet. Mis took his place next to Draco's head, dipped several fingers in the salve, pulling out a glob.

Gently, she spread the substance under his closed eye and along his cheek, feeling the skin soften. It felt strange, like something sentient was crawling under the pads of her fingers, and seeping into the bone. She jerked her hand away from his face and looked at her fingers with knitted eyebrows. It looked like someone was drawing watery charcoal branches, jagged and dark from the tips of her fingers to her top of her palm.

"What the hell?" she said, more curious than troubled by it. Mis wasn't hurt by it, and she took that as a good sign. Madame Pomfrey, who had been bustling with the same salve over Draco's chest, looked up, a flustered and apparently annoyed look on her face.

Mis looked up at her, and twisted her hand to display it to the mediwitch. The woman's hawkish face twisted in confusion, as Snape walked back over to where Mis stood, a small vial filled with fizzing clear liquid in his hand. He glanced at them and, without warning, Snape grabbed Mis' ash streaked hand with his free one, and held it up to inspect it. His brow furrowed, as he dropped it to glance at Draco's face. He shoved her aside roughly to crouch over and inspect Draco's skin. After a moment, he looked back at Mis, who was feeling more than a little nervous at Snape's reaction to her hand.

"What did you do?" he said, his voice equal parts suspicious and confused, and his coal black eye sharp and alert.

"I just did what you said." she said, her voice defensive and her hands held up in surrender.

"Show me." he said forcefully, grabbing her wrist and dragging her in front of him. Mis looked down, and could see Draco's skin pale and clear where she had applied the salve. Taking another glob from the jar in her hand, she spread it along his jaw and down to his neck, once again feeling that strange crawling sensation in her fingers as the skin soften beneath her touch. Snape watched her movements carefully, calculating each motion she made. She removed her hand, and watched as the salve dissolved the cracking black skin to reveal slightly reddened smooth skin beneath it.

"You never mentioned you could do wandless magic, Miss Holtzer." Snape said dryly.

"I can't…" she began confusedly, turning to look at Snape. The look on his face gave her pause, it was concerned, but it had an apparent warning in it. "…say I'm very good at it, but I seemed to misplace my wand in the...uhh, whole hubbub." she said, acquiescing to the 'don't say anything stupid' look on Snape's sneering face.

"I think you're being modest, dear. That seems to be a complex healing spell." piped up Madame Pomfrey, her voice slightly awed.

"Indeed, please continue." said Snape, gesturing for Mis to keep applying the ointment. She did, and noticed that the first dark branching lines faded to a bland grey, and other similar lines took their place. The dark bled up to the back of her hand, weaving through the fading branches of the older lines.

Both Snape and Madame Pomfrey watched as she erased all the black char from Draco's skin, Snape with a passive mask fixed on his face, and Pomfrey with a look of curious disbelief. She finished quickly, and when she was done she looked at her hand again to see it looking like she had dipped it in matte ink. Her vision swam for a moment, and she swayed on the spot, suddenly feeling sick and incredibly exhausted. Snape placed a steadying hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright, dear?" the mediwitch asked her. "I think, I need to sit down." she said, her words slurred. She felt like she hadn't slept in months, and before she could be ushered onto a hospital bed she collapsed against Snape, and slipped into a dense black unconsciousness.


	8. Moonshine

**Author's Note: Hope everyone (yes, even the lurkers...I see you) is enjoying this silly fanfic. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Pretty please, leave a review and let me know what you think *looks up with weepy doe eyes***

 **Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine, nor will it ever be.**

 **Chapter 8: Moonshine**

The first thing Mis noticed when she regained consciousness was the smell of dusty books and lemongrass. The next thing she registered was that every muscle in her body was radiating a bone sore weariness. She opened her eyes, and was greeted by the soft flickering light of a fireplace and several ceiling suspended lamps. Dazedly she wondered why she was in Snape's office sleeping on the black leather couch that she so loathed sitting in. With a little jolt, she remember what had happened with Draco, and his burns. Slowly and very gingerly she sat up, frowning with determination and weakly groaning in pain.

The room was empty, and silent except for the comfortable crackle of the fireplace. Mis looked at her hand, half expecting to see it was permanently stained with a dull charcoal black, but it wasn't. Her hand was pale as ever, with no dark branches weaving up her skin. She continued to stare at it, as if the marks would rematerialize if she concentrated hard enough. So deep was her concentration that when Snape flourished into the room, Dumbledore in tow, she gave a small yelp of surprise.

"Ok Holtzer, what in the bloody hell was that?" Snape said with exasperation, striding purposefully over to where she lay, Dumbledore gliding serenely behind him. Snape knelt down to look at her squarely, apparently prepared to catch any falsehood in her eyes.

"I don't know." she said quietly, not taking her eyes from Snape's. "I was hoping you could tell me." She said, with a casual shrug.

"How are you feeling, my dear?" Dumbledore asked softly, kneeling next to Snape and giving her a look of what she knew was genuine concern. She smiled sweetly at the kindness in his twinkling blue eyes.

"I'm fine, some muscle pain, but fine." She replied. Snape stood up and walked over to his large desk and, after a moment of digging, produced a small bottle of pills, turned around, and poured a glass of water from the pitcher on the decanter table to the right of the fireplace. She watched with skepticism as he walked back over to her, extracting three pills from the bottle and holding them out to her, along with the glass of water. She raised her eyebrows in question, he replied with pinched lips, and an eye roll. She took the pills and water from his outstretched hand, threw back the pills and took a big swig of water to wash them down, all the time waiting for the punchline. He took the water glass back , and set it on stone floor beside her.

"Snape?" Mis said questioningly, giving him a level look, "What the hell? How long was I out for? Was it long enough for you to grow a heart?" she said, a small wry smirk pulling at her lips.

"Hardly." he said, walking over to his desk and leaning back against it with his arms crossed, "You seem to have a predilection towards complaining about muscle pain of late, and I merely wished to avoid such tiring conversation." Snape said dryly with an impassive face, and flicking his wrist as if shooing away an irksome fly.

"Uh huh" she said, with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Miss Holtzer, would you be so kind as to take us through what happened." Dumbledore said, clearly amused, but wanting to get down to brass tacks. She nodded, looking into the old man's face.

"I don't know…Snape handed me some sort of, I'm assuming burn gel, and told me to apply it while he went to get something from the medicine cabinet." She said contemplatively. "I did, and Draco's burns started healing." She got quiet for a second, remembering the exact sensation when she touched his blackened skin. "Then it felt like something was crawling up my hand, under the skin, it felt…alive, sort of like a bug. It didn't hurt, but it felt strange, so I looked at my hand and there were these dull black lines creeping up from the tips of my fingers." She said, watching as Dumbledore nodded urging her on, his eyes piercing. "Whatever I was doing, worked so well that Snape told me to continue applying the gel, and by the time I was done, most of my hand was completely black. Then I felt exhausted all of the sudden, like I hadn't slept in days, and that's the last thing I remember." She said, Dumbledore made a small noise of curiosity, then gracefully rose, and began to pace in the small area. Mis felt more intrigued than uneasy, whatever she had done was a good thing, and it hadn't hurt her, she had only fainted…something she had never done before coming to this crazy plane of reality. With a slight mental jolt, she remembered something that was significantly more important than her and her apparently reduced ability to resist unconsciousness. "Sir, what happened to Harry?" she asked tentatively. Dumbledore froze in his pacing, and turned slowly toward her. There was such sadness in his blue eyes, and they seemed slightly dulled by it.

Mis was finding that it was easy to hate someone when you only knew them from the pages of a book, dissecting their faults from the separation of another's perception and then condensing them down into a simple digestible archetype. Now that he was standing before her, however, it was impossible for her heart not to squeeze in compassion for Dumbledore. He heaved a sigh,

"I'm afraid I've done everything in my power to reason with him, unfortunately he is resistant to everything I say." said the old man wearily, "Obviously, I cannot expel him, to do so would be a death sentence for him. By that same token, I cannot allow him to hurt my other students…" Dumbledore sat down, on the red leather chair Mis normally occupied, and seemed to wilt into it. His hands rubbed tiredly at his forehead, "I've had to take measures I've never been pressed to, I confiscated Harry's wand, and informed him that it will be returned to him when he can be trusted with it."

Mis was shocked by what she heard, taking a wizards wand away was, as she understood it, possibly the greatest disrespect that could be done. She recalled when Voldemort had taken Mr. Malfoy's wand, and though she saw the obvious differences in circumstance, the whole thing didn't sit well with her.

"What?!" she said her faced indignant, "You can't do that to him!" she said trying to be imploring. "His wand? Isn't that a bit drastic?" she said trying to calm herself down.

"He attacked Draco for no readily available reason, Holtzer." Snape said sharply, giving her an 'are you an idiot' look. Mis didn't know how to feel, her gut said it was wrong to take away Harry's wand, but she couldn't help but recognize the necessity in the action.

"Do you think I would go to such lengths if I knew there to be any other way?" Dumbledore said quietly, in an almost hurt voice. The old man's voice and face struck her then, and a thought that had never occurred to her did at that moment. _He cares what I think about him_ she thought to herself confusedly. It was such a painful moment for her to see Dumbledore, the master puppeteer, humanized in such an ordinary way.

 _He doesn_ _'_ _t want me to see him as unjust or cruel_ , his face made her regret her small outburst. "I know you wouldn't." she said, realizing that she believed the words she was speaking. She sighed softly and swung her legs around so she was sitting on the couch. She bent elbows so that her forarms were resting on her knees. She looked at Snape through the wild tangles of her hair, he was looking at her with a strange expression on his face, almost in camaraderie. Dumbledore wasn't currently paying attention, his eyes far removed from the situation.

Mis turned to look at Dumbledore pointedly, deliberately making sure that Snape was on the same page as she. She looked back into Snape's coal eyes, and he gave a small shrug in acquiescence.

"Harry isn't lost, sir." she said, causing the old man to turn and look at her. "I have an idea that will pull him back, and Snape agreed to help me." She said deliberately, causing Dumbledore to cock his head to one side in interested confusion. She took a deep steadying breath, hoping that the old man wouldn't tell her it was a fool's errand. "I'm going to bring back Sirius." she said simply, figuring she's just rip off the proverbial bandaid off as fast as she could.

If the circumstances weren't so stark, Mis would've laughed outright at the look of utter bewilderment on Dumbledore's aged face. The old man didn't seem like the kind who was often taken aback, should a shocking situation arise, so Mis knew that she would always treasure the expression she saw on his face, and even more so that she was the one who had put it there.

"That's impossible." Dumbledore said quietly. Snape gave a derisive snort at that.

"Albus, I doubt Holtzer is aware of such a concept." He stated mildly, giving Mis an almost humorous glance.

"No magic can bring back the dead." Dumbledore said to her gently, as if talking to a small child whose fish had just died.

"Well then it's a damn good thing that I'm not magical." She said seriously, before her face cracked into a bright smile and her eyes filled with a mischievous twinkle. Dumbledore stared at her for a moment, then broke into a good-natured belly laugh that filled the tense room, breaking the heavy worry that had been practically dripping from the walls. She joined in with her own high bubbly laughter, and she could've sworn she even saw Snape's lip twitch upward ever so slightly. A moment later Dumbledore and Mis calmed down.

"My dear, I'm not entirely certain, but I suspect you're either a savior, or a lunatic." Said Dumbledore, wiping a tear away from the corner of his eye, and sniffing softly.

"I favor the latter." Snape quipped from his perch leant against his desk.

"I concur, the latter seems most likely at this point." Mis replied, still chuckling slightly.

The next several days were a flurry of activity, in addition to her lessons with Mad-eye, and research of the veil, she had the opportunity to experience, first hand, the infamous rumor mill that was Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her personal favorite being the one where she had, evidently, snatched Draco from the brink of death by preforming an ancient blood oath that bound her soul to his, causing Snape to stun her and carry her limp form to his office in a jealous rage. The fact that Draco was in a magically induced coma, and could neither confirm nor deny such rumors only added fuel to the flame. In addition to this, and much to Snape's chagrin, Mis thought the whole thing was pretty goddamn hilarious, and had taken to staring at his profile with a wistful, brokenhearted gaze during meals in full view of the great hall, just to egg them on. Snape found her new activity most vexing and, on several occasions threatened various ways in which he would maim or murder her if she didn't desist. His threats were largely ignored, and really just added to her mirth.

Mis found the humor a godsend, as other things in her life were certainly not laughable. Harry was becoming increasingly reclusive as the days progressed, and had stopped coming to meals all together after the quidditch incident. He was receiving detentions from Dumbledore, Monday through Friday, and the old man had indicated that it wasn't going well. He was also on a strict curfew, and was entirely prohibited from leaving his common room except for classes, meals, and his detentions.

This had caused Mis, Snape, and now Dumbledore to increase preparations for breaking into the ministry. Well, mostly Snape, and Dumbledore, Mis had no previous experience with breaking into any government facilities, and planning was not something she considered to be a strength of hers, so she let them have at it.

Four days had passed since Draco had been cursed and Mis, driven by concern and a bit of lingering guilt, had gone by the hospital wing each day after her lessons with Mad-eye, to check up on him. Mis had been informed that though his body was fully healed, the dark curse had severely damaged his magic, and that he was under a charm that promoted the repair of it.

"He'll wake naturally when all his magic has been restored." Madame Pomfrey had said gently, shooting Mis a very knowing look when she had asked about Draco's recovery. Mostly, Mis just carried on one sided conversations with his sleeping form, letting him know about the goings on, telling him about the silly rumors. Sometimes a fitful crinkle would form between his eyebrows, his sleep seeming restless to her, Mis reacted almost on instinct, and in a way that she didn't fully understand. She sang to him. Soft and low, trying not to be overheard, and after only a few verses, his face would smooth and become peaceful again. It filled her with a tenderness for him, that he could be soothed with a song. Such a simple thing, but it meant something; even though he would probably not remember it, she would. For Mis, it was simply enough that she, in her small way, could bring a little comfort into his life.

At lunch on the fifth day, Dumbledore had told Mis that Draco had woken up. She hadn't replied and instead opted to wolf down the remaining bit of whatever high protein thing Mad-eye had instructed her to eat. Still chewing the last bight, she stood up quickly, and walked briskly out of the great hall. She was anxious to see Draco, and confirm that he was in fact ok. She mentally calculated how long she would have to visit him, she had a lesson with Mad-eye in about 20 minutes, but she figured that would be long enough to check up on him.

She jogged lightly to hospital wing, her ponytail swinging, and her face giving off a healthy pink glow as she barged through the infirmary door. She composed herself as she walked over to his bed, his curtains were drawn. Before she could reach to pull them back, however, a willowy figured walked out from behind it. Considering she felt like a she had just been bludgeoned upside the head with a sledgehammer, Mis thought she contained her shock rather well as she stared at the refined face of Narcissa Malfoy.

To say she was beautiful would certainly be an understatement; she was slender with dark blue robes made of light airy fabric, and grey lace lining her wrists and neck. The skin on her face was flawless, the only thing showing her age were the soft laugh lines around her mouth. Her makeup was tasteful, with dark arching eyebrows, full burgundy lips, and light smoky eye shadow over startling storm grey eyes.

Looking at her Mis suddenly felt hilariously underdressed, and positively grotesque in her grey leggings, pink tank, and her poor, much abused, ASU hoodie. Swallowing down the self-consciousness that made her want to burrow into a nice dark cave, she smiled brightly at the woman.

"You must be Mrs. Malfoy." Mis sated brightly, holding out her hand. The older woman's eyes looked sharp, but not unkind as she took Mis' hand in her own and shook delicately. "I came to visit Draco, but I see he is already occupied, and I definitely wouldn't want to intrude." Mis said politely, still smiling as she dropped Mrs. Malfoy's hand, and turned to go.

Mis prayed that she wouldn't be stopped; this encounter was not something she had planned for, though she had wanted at some point to make another connection into the Malfoy family in an attempt to get them the hell out from under Snake Face. She had no strategy, and that made her incredibly uncomfortable…not that Mis ever really had strategy, she was more the 'make it up as you go along' type, but with people like the Malfoy's, notorious for their cunning, she felt her own style of action would be unwise.

Her prayers went entirely ignored.

"No, I assure you there would be no intrusion. Please, come have a seat." Mrs. Malfoy said formally, a minuscule smile curving her lips, which made her look remarkably like her son. Mis struggled for a moment internally, and a bit of it must have shown on her face, because Mrs. Malfoy's eyes grew softer as she pushed the white curtain aside. "I insist." she said sweetly. Mis ducked her head as if embarrassed, and smiled sheepishly at the woman before walking through.

Draco was propped up on the cot, which looked like it had been transfigured to a larger and more comfortable bed with cozy looking black linens, and fluffy pillows. He was looking much better, there was more healthy color to his face, though it still had a hollow look about it. His hair looked adorably disheveled, and Mis had to fight the strange urge that made her want to run her fingers through it in order to neaten it up. It took him a second to register who it was but when he did, his arctic eyes melted and glittered at the sight of her.

She had never seen Draco smile in earnest, and it was yet another shock that Mis certainly hadn't prepared for, yet this shock was far more welcome. Seeing him smile felt like that made her feel like she was gulping down hot chocolate while outside in a biting winter flurry, and feeling it pleasantly burn all the way down till it settled in her stomach, sweet and drowsy. She didn't have to calculate anything for a moment, she just smiled, bright and untroubled.

"How are you feeling, Draco." she said kindly, as she sat down in the chair to the right of his bed.

"Terrible and weak." he said with a long suffering sigh and a slight frown, though his eyes still smiled. She crossed her arms, and rolled her eyes.

"Don't try and play on my sympathy, we both know my heart is frosty and unmovable." she said imperiously, fluttering her lashes flirtatiously. He chuckled softly, then looked at her with a strangely serious expression.

"Madame Pomfrey, told me what happened, what you did…" He said, not quite meeting her eyes. Mis could tell he wasn't used to saying "thank you", but she enjoyed watching him try, so she let him fumble. "What I mean is…" he continued his voice a little deeper, trying to gain a little confidence no doubt. She smiled sweetly.

"It was no problem, promise. I was glad I could help." she said sincerely, saving him from having to say the words that were probably all kinds of taboo in Malfoy world. Mrs. Malfoy cleared her throat, Mis had completely forgotten she was there for a moment. She looked at the woman as a blush creeped up on her cheeks. Draco fumbled for a minute before clearing his throat.

"Right, sorry." he said hastily, "Mother, this is Artemis Holtzer." he said gesturing to Mis. Mrs. Malfoy smiled softly, and inclined her head politely to the younger girl. "Mis, this is my mother." he said, he looked a little nervous.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm ever so grateful for what you did for my son. I was told he might have carried permanent damage had you not intervened." she said with aristocratic grace, sitting down on the chair on Draco's left side. Mis smiled warmly.

"As I said, I'm glad to be of service." She gave Mis a brief calculating look that was difficult to catch do to how fast it left her eyes, but Mis saw it.

"I hope you won't consider me forward, but I'm curious to know just where you are from, apparently you are not from the United Kingdom." Said Mrs. Malfoy, obviously hedging for information. Mis smiled.

"Not at all, I'm from Arizona." Mis decided to try and play up the orphaned girl bit to her advantage. "Well, I was. After the death of my parents, it doesn't feel as though I truly belong anywhere." she said sadly, wondering absently if she was laying it on a bit thick. "I'm most grateful that Severus has shown me so much kindness." Mis said, and inwardly cringed. _Note to self, Snape has no first name_ she thought, it felt weird saying it out loud.

"You have my condolences, I am, however, happy to hear that Severus is being kind." Mrs. Malfoy replied, "I'm aware he can be a touch abrasive at times." she continued, and Mis wondered if she was trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, it's just part of his charm." said Mis, waving her hand dismissively.

"Indeed." the woman replied. Mis glanced at the large clock hung above the vast gothic windows. She knew Mad-eye would have her head for being late, and she didn't want to risk his wrath.

"Well, I think I shall leave you two in privacy." Mis said, trying to sound bashful, as she rose from her chair.

"Perhaps we could walk for a moment together? I was about to leave as well." Mrs. Malfoy said, giving Draco a glance that Mis didn't understand. Mis was quiet taken aback by her proposal, but managed to hide it behind a close lipped smile.

"I'd like that, Mrs. Malfoy." The elder woman grabbed her coat, kissed her son while whispering something Mis couldn't decipher, which made Draco smile and nod, looking a little pink at the attention. Mis said goodbye to Draco shyly, and together, she and Narcissa Malfoy exited through the infirmary doors.

"I truly cannot express my gratitude to you, Artemis." Mrs. Malfoy said abruptly, as they walked at a leisurely pace down the warm stone halls. Mis looked at the woman whose hair half up in a flawless dark bun and her eyes genuine, and offered a slight head incline of acknowledgment. "If there is ever anything that I can do for you in turn, please do not hesitate to ask." She said formally, looking down at Mis. "My family has been troubled of late. So much turmoil, so many secrets." the woman said cautiously, trying to gauge Mis. The younger girl nodded sympathetically, and waited for Mrs. Malfoy to continue. "I worry greatly about my son, and I feel comforted to know that Severus isn't the only one looking after him."

Mis took a moment and chose her words carefully, she didn't want to give away too much.

"I understand, we all have secrets to protect, but I've found that it's important to have people who are willing to protect secrets that are not their own." Mis said, giving Mrs. Malfoy a pointed look, and hoping the woman would get the general implication of her words.

"True, but it is difficult to find such people." Mrs. Malfoy said with a closed face, not breaking eye contact as they walked. Mis didn't falter under the woman's probing grey eyes.

"Maybe… sometimes though, if we are lucky, they simply appear when most needed." Mis said softly, with a sly but still kind smile.

Mrs. Malfoy seemed to ponder Mis' words for a moment in silence. Mis laughed softly, trying to make the conversation seem more casual.

"Hypothetically, of course." the girl said lightly.

"Of course." said the older woman, smiling as well and looking ahead as they approached the castle entrance. "At the risk of repeating myself… thank you, Artemis, and I understand why Severus speaks so highly of you." She said, as a strangely melancholy look passed over her face.

"You're most welcome." Mis said earnestly, then leant in "…and I wouldn't take anything Snape says about me as gospel… he worships the ground I walk on." she said in a stage whisper to the woman, who gave a small chuckle of laughter.

"I'm sure." she replied. They offered each other a pleasant goodbye, and Mis watched as Mrs. Malfoy turned to sweep elegantly into the gold afternoon.

Mis let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. All things considered, Mis thought she handled that pretty damn well, _probably could_ _'_ _ve eased up on the false charm, and all that cryptic bullshit_ , she amended to herself. She began walking briskly towards the moving marble staircase, not even wanting to know what time it was. Mrs. Malfoy was…softer than Mis had suspected she would be. She distinctly remembered her being described as looking like she were perpetually smelling something sour, which gave her a disdainful air. Mis got none of that impression, though the reason she was acting kind could've been a reaction to Mis healing her son. Mis' mind was swimming with thoughts of the Malfoys, trying to figure some way to free them.

She desperately wanted to help them, but she didn't fully know why. They had made they're decisions about whom to follow, obviously they were not people with an over high, or possibly even any, level of morality. Still their presence nagged at her conscience, and she found it was difficult to shake the feeling that she didn't just want to help them, but that she needed to. She decided to put it out of her mind for the time being, and instead focus on the grueling task of jogging up the stairs and down the halls until she reached the door to the room of requirement.

She opened it hurriedly, slightly out of breath. The room was slightly different than normal. It seemed more minimalistic, with the target station gone as well as the boxing ring. Instead, there were the familiar blue mats spread side by side on the hard gymnasium floor, in the center of the room.

"Fuckin' hell, Holtzer, you're twenty bleedin' minutes late. If you aren't taking this seriously…" Barked Mad-eye hobbling angrily over to where she stood, frozen in the door like a deer caught in headlights. She righted herself.

"It's nice to see you too Peggy, you always brighten my day with your sunny smile." she said dryly, rolling her eyes.

"Keep your quips, girlie." he said crossly, grabbing her a little roughly and leading her to the padded area. "…and quit callin' me Peggy." he added through gritted teeth, as he released her arm.

"I distinctly remember you saying I could call you what I like." she said holding up a finger in argument. "I like Peggy…I've taken the whole peg-leg thing and turned it into an adorable nickname, you should be pleased." She insisted. Mad-eye grumbled something dark and unintelligible. She heard a soft chuckle from behind her, and turned around to find Remus Lupin walking towards her. He was wearing a simple black t-shirt, and a pair of shabby grey sweatpants with his hands shoved casually into the pockets. He looked surprisingly healthy, his face had a good bit of color, and his hair didn't look as lank and greasy as it had the last time Mis had seen him.

She smiled warmly as he approached her.

"It's nice to see you again, Remus." she said kindly shaking his hand in greeting.

"You as well Miss Holtzer." He replied kindly, inclining his head politely.

"Can we move this along? Preferably before the whole goddamn war is over." Mad-eye said gruffly, retrieving something from the table near the left wall.

"Christ Peggy, I was just saying 'hi', didn't know that was a capital offense." Mis replied tartly, as she tightened her ponytail prissily.

Mad-eye didn't favor her comment with a reply, and instead walked back to her with a dark bundle in his arms.

"Here." he said tossing it to her, "Limber up, then put this on, you're starting hand-to-hand today." He said in voice that indicated his patience was shot. She unraveled the black bundle and found it to be some kind of long-sleeved combat shirt made of thin spandex material with light padding around the chest, shoulders and stomach. She shrugged her shoulders, and sat down on the blue mat to stretch her legs.

"So…" she said, and Remus looked down, casting an impressive shadow over her. "You've been brought here to kick my ass, I assume." she said dryly, craning her neck to look up at him.

"I doubt I'll be able to. It's been quite a long time since I've physically fought someone." He said humbly, giving a soft chuckle. Mis stood up, and began stretching her arms. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Trying to lure me into a false sense of security, Remus?" she said with mock suspicion. He looked a little taken aback by her seeming familiarity with him, but only for a moment, before he gave her a sly smile.

"Never." He said with mock sincerity.

Mis finished stretching, and began pulling the padded black training shirt on over her tank top. This proved to be a far more difficult activity than she had anticipated. She wiggled madly trying to thrust her arms through the sleeves, while simultaneously attempting to pull her head through the abnormally small neck hole.

"Trouble, Holtzer?" called Mad-eye, a bubble of laughter cracking his voice.

"Could I get some help?" she said in a pathetic voice, muffled by the fabric over her head. She felt a pair of hands yank down on the hem of the shirt, and after another second of struggling her head and arms were through.

She patted down her messed hair, and straighten out the damn shirt. She glanced at Remus, who looked as if he were struggling to fight back a smile.

"Thank you." she said to him, with a dignified sniff.

"Don't mention it." he said lightly, his hazel eyes bright and full of amusement.

"I don't plan to." she replied.

"Alright, Holtzer." Said Mad-eye, dropping his amusement, and walking closer to where Remus and Mis stood. "You've been progressing well, so it's about time you learned how to deal with a direct attack. Remus here, has quite a bit of experience with such things, and he's possibly one of the best fighters I know, which is saying something." Mad-eye said, causing Remus to slump a little bashfully under the praise, and Mis to raise her eyebrows in surprise.

"Really?" she said, more like a statement than a question, looking at Remus with a newfound appreciation.

"Unfortunately, it was necessary that I become adept at self-defense." said Remus grimly. Mis nodded solemnly, not willing to press him for information, she could imagine why he would need such skills.

"Ok." she said clapping her hands together, "Let's do this." Remus and Mis walked to the center of the padded area, the young girl messing with the skin tight padded garment, trying to see if she could somehow loosen it so it didn't feel like it was squeezing the breath out of her.

"First off, Holtzer. You're a tiny thing, which means that a bloody house elf could overpower you. You'll never be able to win a fight with brute force, you'll have to be quick and clever." Barked Mad-eye, conjuring a cozy looking plush orange chair and plopping down into it with a grunt. "Second, don't let your enemy get you on your back. Third, for the love of god. Exploit. Their. Weakness." Mad-eye said, punctuating the last three words each with a jab of his twisted wood cane. "If it's a man, go for the godamn jewels, if he's tall go for the legs, and break his fuckin kneecaps. You'll have to fight dirty in order to survive, girlie." He continued, giving her a stern stare. Remus cleared his throat little uncomfortably, and shifted a little away from Mis as though she were going to instantly start attacking him.

"Worry not Moonshine, I'll go easy on ya." she said with a smirk.

Thirty minutes later found Mis on her back for the fifth time in 3 minutes.

"Goddamn it, Hotzer, I told you to dodge!" Mis lay there breathing heavily, feeling bruises forming all across her body.

"I'm so sorry, Mis." Remus said earnestly, for perhaps the thousandth time, offering her a hand which she accepted to help hoist her up.

"Again." the old Auror said in his grizzly voice. Mis had since lost most of the will to backtalk, so intense was her concentration to not fall flat on her ass again.

She crouched down in preparation, and Remus mirrored her movement. Unfortunately for Mis, Remus Lupin was very quick and stronger than she ever would have given him credit for. He moved gracefully, with crisp movements that totally belied his shabby appearance, and he often seemed to lose himself to his senses as he fought. His eyes would grow wide, and his whole manner became more animalistic. She suspected it was the wolf part of him, heightened senses or whatever. An idea occurred to her, they began to circle each other tentatively, and she whistled two high notes rapidly. That caused him to almost look like he had a tick for a moment, as his head cocked briefly in the same way that a curious animal would.

Mis smirked, and whistled again a little louder, then clicked her tongue causing Remus to look at her with strange interest, he straightened a little and lost his prowling stance for only a second. That was all Mis needed, she lunged low at him, keeping out of reach of his arms as she swept his legs out from under him. Remus gave a grunt as his legs gave out and he fell hard on his back, Mis jumped on his middle locking his arms at his side with her legs, and placed her forearm on his neck with her face inches from his. She had a sharp glow in her forest green eyes, making her look a little wild.

"Ok… _that_ was fun." she said enthusiastically, her heart beating fast. She removed her arm from Remus' throat but stayed perched on his stomach, she could feel his own rapid heartbeat.

"How was that, ya old bastard?" she said jokingly to an impassively faced Mad-eye, lounging in his orange chair with his legs propped up on a newly conjured matching ottoman.

"Reasonably clever." He conceded reluctantly. Remus cleared his throat, a wry look on his face.

"Would you get off me, please?" he said, looking up at Mis.

"Silence, villain." she replied dismissively, "You have been vanquished." she said in an imperial voice still not moving. She turned back to face Mad-eye. "Come on Peggy, that was pretty good." Mad-eye rolled his eyes. The next second Mis was flipped on her back somewhat painfully, with Remus now on top of her in the reversed position. She squirmed futilely, all his weight resting on her torso.

"Don't let perceived victory make you cocky." He said in a light warning voice. She blew a loose strand of dark hair out of her face.

"You cheated." she said in a low voice, narrowing her eyes at him.

"So did you." he replied, standing up smoothly and offering her a hand, which she swatted away irritably. Mis stood up groaning slightly, as her muscles protested further movement. "Again." barked Mad-eye, and Mis heaved a sigh.

They continued practicing for an hour or so, with Remus still winning the majority of the fights. Every 5 fights or so, Mis would catch him off guard, and be able to pin him. Remus was laying on his back, with Mis' knee on top of his chest.

"You're a terrible winner." he deadpanned, while she jumped up and began doing the slow motion cheer from Rocky, singing a slightly altered version of "Eye of the Tiger". She ran around the little blue padded area, having a ridiculously good time. " _…_ _and the last known survivor stalks her prey in the night_ _…_ _and she_ _'_ _s watching us all with the eyyyyyyyyye_ _…_ " She spun around, pointing at Remus for dramatic effect "… _of the werewolf_ ". Remus looked at her mildly, then up to the ceiling in contemplation before a huge smile broke across his face. Mis started giggling, the best kind of victory to her was pulling a smile from someone, and she would gladly trade all her future victories for smiles if she could. 'It's the little things' she thought happily as she sat down next to a softly chuckling Remus. Mad-eye levitated two glasses of water near them, a smirk playing around his mouth. Remus sat up, running his fingers through his sandy, slightly damp hair, then grasped the two glasses out of the air and passed one to Mis.

"Don't think you're finished, this is just a break girlie, and I've still got you for two more hours." Mad-eye said, as Mis and Remus gulped down the water. The young girl groaned, and wiped her sweaty forehead. She knew she must look frightful, her dark hair was coming loose and sticking to her neck, and her cheeks, which always had a rosy glow, were probably bright red from excursion. She sighed heavily and stood up somewhat wearily, and offered and hand up to Remus.

They sparred another hour and a half, before Mis felt like she was going to fall over from exhaustion.

"You've taken the fight out of me." she said miserably, sprawled ungracefully on the floor. "I need food, I need rest, look at me I'm shell of my former self." she said, holding up her arms dejectedly. Remus chuckled.

"Take pity on her Mad-eye, look at the poor girl." he said gesturing to her like that was the only evidence required to make his point.

"Don't let her wilting flower act fool you, Remus. She's actually made of ice and sarcasm." Mad-eye replied with good humor.

"Don't listen to him, Moonshine. I'm delicate, frail, and in need of saving." she said halfheartedly, still unwilling to move from the floor.

Mad-eye sighed exasperatedly.

"Fine, you're done, Holtzer." Mis got up slowly, her body in pain. 'I can actually feel the bruises forming under my skin' she thought to herself. She looked down at the skin tight, black padded shirt as if they were old enemies. She gripped the hem and flung it up with all the strength left in her weary muscles, unfortunately for Mis, that was not strong enough. The goddamned shirt got stuck at her head and shoulders, and she felt the cool air of the room cross her the skin of her stomach. 'Well, shit.' she thought, hoping beyond hope that she was not actually flashing Remus and Mad-eye. Her fears were confirmed when she heard Mad-eye start roaring with unrestrained laughter, and Remus splutter and cough awkwardly.

She stood motionless, hiding her face in the dark cocoon of fabric listening to Mad-eye's booming laughter, thinking that at least it couldn't get worse. She jinxed herself with that thought, for a moment later she heard the room of requirement's door bang open hurriedly.

"Oh my god! Really!?" she said, exasperated and embarrassed in equal measure.

"Holtzer…" Snape said, his urgent voice stopped short. "What the hell is going on?" Snape said with a level of confusion she had never heard in his voice before.

"If someone doesn't help me get this damn thing off right now, I'll unleash the wrath of hell..." She felt hand grip the hem of her the pink tank top that betrayed her, and pulled it down to cover her chest and stomach, then the hands lifted the padded devil shirt up and over her head.

Blessedly free, she looked up into the slightly pink face of Remus, whose amber eyes refused to meet her own. Mad-eye was still struggling with fits laughter, causing Mis to yank the shirt out of Remus' hand, ball it up, and chuck it violently at Mad-eye and his despicable wheezing chortles. The old auror blocked it easily from hitting his face and continued to laugh. Mis huffed in annoyance, then decided it was a lost cause, and left the bastard to his mirth.

She turned to look at Snape, whose face indicated that he was totally immune to Mis' embarrassment, and the hilarity Mad-eye found in the whole situation, for which she was grateful.

"Holtzer, you're needed." Snape said, giving her a steady look with his black eye. She understood that look, it said 'shut up and follow me.' Mis nodded curtly, and turned to find Remus looking at her with a worried expression, and Mad-eye sobered by the apparent urgency in Snape's voice.

"Sorry, gentlemen, you'll no longer have the pleasure of my company." she said in a light voice, making herself appear untroubled by Snape's intensity. Both men seemed partially appeased by her carefree manner, and bid her farewells which she returned with a wave.

Snape and Mis walked briskly out of the room and down the empty candle lit hall, her muscle pain starting to be overshadowed by the feeling of worry constricting her lungs.

"We have a problem, Holtzer." Snape said quietly, looking down at Mis who was walking in tandem with him. She felt another squeeze of anxiety, as she looked up into his face, which was stoic, but she could detect the slightest twitch of worry in the knit of his eyebrows. 'I will not freak out' she thought to herself firmly, if Snape was worried she knew that would probably be the time when she would most want to panic, yet she knew that she could not.

"Long story short, Holtzer." He said, in voice that indicated he knew how hard she was trying not to panic. "We're going to the Ministry to get Black…tonight."


	9. The Veil

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for reading, and I hope everyone likes this chapter. I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update (I had a bad case of the midterms). Please leave a review if you enjoy; I really love hearing your input.**

 **Bleeding Blue: You're honestly too sweet, I'm so glad you're enjoying the story! Honestly, I blush like a tomato when I read you're reviews. PS Sam and Dean as DADA teachers would be the best thing ever! :))**

 **Guest: Thank you so much for reviewing. Don't worry, this will NOT be abandoned, I'm too obsessive for that. Luna will definitely be making an appearance, I've got some big plans for her down the road.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter...freakin' obviously.**

Chapter 9: The Veil

Mis opened her mouth to reply, but no words occurred to her, so she just kept up the brisk pace Snape had set. She was not prepared to go through The Veil yet, she didn't know what exactly would be on the other side, she didn't know how she was going to find Sirius once she got there, and she didn't even know how in the hell they were even going to get from Scotland to London. ' _What if I can_ _'_ _t find the damn ministry phone booth?_ ' she thought frantically to herself, her brain spinning with possible ways in which she could fail.

"Holtzer, for the love of magic, I can see the steam evaporating off your head, turn those mental gears down a bloody notch or two." Snape spat irritably, Mis looked up at him with her eyes crackling in indignation.

"I think I'm entitled to a bit of internal panic, Snape, seeing as I have to go through an archway that leads to the goddamn underworld in order to bring back the godfather of The fucking Chosen One, in further order to avoid Snake Face's reign of nose-less terror." She said rapidly, a touch of hysteria present in her tone.

"All the more reason for you to keep your head, Holtzer." Said Snape, with an infuriatingly calm voice. Mis wanted so desperately to argue, it was like a physical discomfort, but she couldn't deny that Snape was right. She took several deep breaths, and kept quiet until they reached the dungeons. Snape strode into his office and Mis followed, closing the door behind her. Snape's office was always seemed warmer than the rest of the castle and that, coupled with the familiar smell of herbs, acted as a balm to soothe her frantic mind.

Dumbledore was there in dark green robes, sitting at Snape's desk pouring over several of the books Mis had been researching. He looked up as Mis closed to door, his face troubled, and Mis was horrified to see relief cross the old man's features at her approach. ' _Oh, for godsake, don'_ _t look at me like I know what I_ _'_ _m doing Dumbledore_ ' she thought nervously.

"What happened?" Mis said, a little more shortly than she had intended. Snape moved over the decanter table, and poured himself a glass of amber liquid, then walked to stand in front of the hearth.

"Harry attacked Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger." The old man replied, his voice strong, though Mis could tell how strained he was. Mis closed her eyes slowly, and sat down in her red leather chair.

"Ok." she said, because no other reply occurred to her. She was frozen, but at that moment she took a page out of Snape's book, and opted to emotionally detach herself from the situation in order to better allow herself to think properly.

"How? He has no wand." she asked, her voice higher than normal, apparently her body would not be forced into calm.

"He performed wandless magic, which is next to impossible for one so young. Furthermore, it was a very powerful dark curse…" replied Dumbledore. Mis felt a rush of worry that she couldn't fight down.

"Wait, wait." she said urgently, holding up a hand and moving to sit on the edge of her seat. "Are Ron and Hermione ok?" she demanded, her eyes wide.

"They are perfectly fine." replied Snape shortly, taking a large swig of his drink. Mis let out a breath, and clutched her chest as if her heart was going to leap out from behind her ribcage.

"Yes, Miss Granger is, thankfully, a very gifted defensive witch and was able to block the curse, and stun Harry, who is now in my office and under a sleeping drought." She nodded slowly, that didn't surprise her, Mis knew Hermione could kick some serious ass should the occasion call for it. Mis let out a deep breath, and tightened her pony tail with a look of grim determination on her face. It was time for her to take control, she knew what she had to do and she intended to swallow her panic and get the job done.

"Three things." she said crisply, glancing between Snape and Dumbledore. "How are we getting to London? Have either of you found any useful information about the Veil? And do I have time to change?" She asked, trying to indicate that she was totally calm, though she could feel anxious flutters in her stomach.

"The first question is rather difficult to answer, as we do not know how you may be able to travel. We've assumed that all magical means of transportation are excluded, such as floo, apparition, or portkey. Brooms would not be wise as neither you nor Severus are experienced fliers. Thus, the options that are open to us are thestrals, Hagrid's motorbike or, of course, you could simply take the express to King's Cross and rent an automobile in order to drive to the Ministry." Mis listened to Dumbledore's suggested forms of transit, and nearly laughed out loud at the last one. It was such a fantastically normal proposal. ' _Take a train, and rent a car_ ' she thought to herself ' _why didn_ _'_ _t I think of that?_ '

"I veto any kind of locomotion in which I would be required to fly." She said seriously, before a slight smile crossed her face.

"Here, here." Snape concurred, staring into the fire and toasting her with his glass absently.

"To answer your second question…" Dumbledore began.

"No…" Snape cut him off. "There is absolutely no _useful_ information about The Veil." Snape said, in a bored voice turning slowly to look at Mis.

"And the last question?" she replied, looking down at her clothes in disgust.

"If you hurry." Snape said, his voice strangely distant. Mis nodded her head once curtly, then sprung out of the chair, and clapped her hands once.

"Okay, here's what I'm gonna do. I'll go change." she turned to Dumbledore "If you could get your hands on some daggers, that'd be great. Yes, I know I'm going into the underworld, but I'd feel better if I had something to protect myself if I have to." She said briskly to the old man, who accepted her order with a nod. "Snape, get me a danake, an obol, or anything you think I could trade to the ferryman, should he be there. Also maybe some garlic, belladonna, mandrake, dittany…" Mis paused biting her lip in consideration "…Hell, get me some aconitum as well." she said confidently. "If Hecate is there I'd really like to avoid pissing her off." she said in quiet voice, more to herself than anyone else. "Let's just hope I don't run into anyone serious." She said a little louder, her dark forest eyes far away in contemplation.

"I thought that's why we were going…to find Sirius." Said Snape dryly, draining his drink and setting it on the mantle. She looked up slowly, wondering if she had heard him correctly.

"Did…" she started, before narrowing her eyes and taking a couple steps closer to him, her head cocked and her mouth slightly open. "Did…Was that a pun? Did you just make a pun?" She inquired in utter disbelief. Snape looked over at her with a look of innocence, before something truly remarkable happened. Mis watched as Severus Snape, the most disdainful man she'd ever encountered, allowed a small smile to curl his lips.

Mis looked at the tall, pale man, his coal eyes glittering and catching the firelight, and offered him a small smile as well. She felt strangely grateful towards him. Perhaps he didn't know what that smile would mean to her and didn't understand the gravity of that simple action, but to Mis it felt like he was trying to comfort her; and trying to offer her some small encouragement. She shook her head softly, her lips still curled.

"Puns are the lowest form of wit." she said, shaking her head in mock disappointment.

"You only say that because you didn't think of it first." he replied. She gave a small chuckle, and shrugged her shoulders

"Fair enough." She shrugged.

She turned to Dumbledore, who was watching the exchange with a great deal of interest and a soft look in his eyes. "I'll be back in ten." she said, Snape and Dumbledore nodded, and she walked out the office, and jogged to her room.

She entered her room hurriedly, and lunged over to her nightstand and turned on her phone. She checked the time, which was 5:37, and briefly considered calling Mrs. Weber, before concluding that the crazy old bat would probably not be able to tell her anything new. She shut off her phone again and jerked open the doors to her wardrobe, yanking out her backpack and dumped the contents onto the bed. The only thing she had in it was several trashy paperbacks, her headphones, a canvas pencil case, her wallet, and the small can of mace her father had always insisted she carry. She fumbled with the trick pocket on the inside of the bag, and pulled out the small pin. The golden petals of the flower shimmered in the soft light of her room, and the pearl in the center held a pure, ethereal glow.

"Where my heart wants to be." she said to herself quietly, remembering Mrs. Weber's words. She gripped it in her hand, and held it as if it were her salvation. Gently, she attached it to the base of her ponytail. It felt as though it clung to her, like a magnet to her skull, and she could even feel a soft warm pulse, like a heartbeat that fluttered in tandem with her own. She let herself just feel it for a moment; the gentle thrum of something she couldn't quite describe, it felt like a part of her, yet distinctly not, like being in the presence of someone that understood who she was. She wondered why she had never put it on before now, and she suspected that she would, after this moment, never want to take it off.

She abruptly snapped out of her reverie, her heart calm and her mind filled with a vicious determination that flowed through her body alongside her blood. She quickly picked out a pair of black jeans and a dark green t-shirt, tightened the laces of her shoes and, after grabbing her backpack, strode out of the room into the silent dungeon halls.

She made it back to Snape's office, walking in to find Snape and Dumbledore standing in front of the hearth, and speaking quickly to each other in low voices. They stopped the moment Mis walked in the room, their faces looking up in slight worry, before relaxing at the site of her.

"Here you are, my dear." Dumbledore said, gliding over to her with Mad-eye's daggers in his outstretched hands. She took them, and slung her backpack over her shoulder to shove them into it.

"Thanks." she said to the old man, looking into his twinkling blue eyes, and giving him a smile, which he returned. She walked over to Snape, who was dressed, not in his normal billowing robes, but a pair of black slacks and a razor crisp white shirt rolled up to his forearms. His black hair was sleek, and tied back from his face with a leather band, showing his thin face, pointed chin, and rather high cheek bones that were normally hidden. Mis looked him up and down, her eyebrows raised in amused disbelief.

"Damn, Snape you clean up nice. I expect you'll be getting a call from GQ any minute now." She said, a smirk plastered on her lips, and her eyes holding a glint of mischief.

Snape pinched his lips together, clearly unamused.

"I assume you have more observations you're dying to make, so please, for the sake of my fragile sanity, get them all out of your system now." He said in a resigned voice, while rubbing his temple.

"Jesus, your hair is all… Johnny Depp." she said in unfiltered wonder. "…and I mean like circa 1994 Don Juan DeMarco, Johnny Depp." She said quickly in clarification, watching as Snape sighed and crossed his arms. "You been hittin' the gym, bro?" She said, circling him once before unraveling his crossed arms and holding one up so she could inspect the muscle development. Instead of fighting her, he just allowed her to feel up and down his arm, looking up to the ceiling, cursing whatever god would allow such an annoying creature into his world.

She held up Snape's arm and pointed at it. "Have you seen this?" she asked in disbelief, looking up at Dumbledore, whose blue eyes were full of amusement. She dropped Snape's arm and took several paces back, supporting her chin with a fist in contemplation. She narrowed her eyes as if scrutinizing a particularly confusing Picasso painting, then threw her hands up as if in defeat.

"Well Snape, it's official. You could totally be a sexy professor, and have all the little school girls swoon over you." She said in voice that indicated there was nothing to be done, and shaking her head solemnly. Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, and let out a sigh of intense exasperation. Dumbledore coughed in his hand to hide a chuckle. "I'm serious Snape, you could be like Sting in the _Don_ _'_ _t Stand So Close To Me_ music video." She said to him conspiratorially. His head shot up to glare at her with unrestrained loathing in his eyes.

"Too far, Holtzer." He said warningly leaning forward with his finger pointed at her, "Never. Compare me. To. Sting." He said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, so now you've got a problem with The Police?!" She said, in an appalled voice, taking another step back as if he were a man with a contagious disease.

He opened his mouth to argue his point before coming to his senses, and straightening himself from the aggressive pose he had adopted a moment before.

"However much I would like to educate you on the abysmal lack of taste you employ in music selection, I think there are several more pressing matters that require attention." He said without emotion, turning to the desk where he had a few bottles and small bouquets of herbs tied neatly with ribbon.

"Fine, but this isn't over." she warned as she walked to stand next to him.

Mis looked down at the display,

"Everything you requested is here." Said Snape, and she nodded.

"What about the…" she began, before she turned to see him holding out a brown leather pouch. She took it and poured several rough edge coins out into her palm, then inspected each one critically. "These are drachmas, not obols…" she said with a little crease forming between her eyebrows, and dumped the rest into her a hand using her finger to sort through the rather large handful of coins. "…and there sure as hell aren't any danakes here." she said stuffing the coins back into the leather purse, the coins clinking metallically.

"I'm terribly sorry, Holtzer, but I seem to be out of ancient Greek and Persian coinage at the bloody moment. It's nothing short of a goddamn miracle that I was able to locate these." he said in righteous indignation. She held up her hand as if attempting to calm a wild horse.

"It was just an observation." she said, "I do appreciate them." she continued absently, stuffing them and the herbs into her backpack quickly.

"Observations…" he mumble to himself sourly, checking the watch on his wrist. "We need to leave, the train departs for King's Cross in fifteen minutes." Snape said, calmly. Dumbledore, who had been silently pacing the small office in silence with his eyes on his feet, looked up and strode over to Mis in determination.

"My dear, you do not have to do this." Said the old man, placing a hand on her shoulder and gripping it firmly. She looked into his aged face, and met his uncannily piercing eyes with her own steady gaze. "I have, for too long, burdened the young with war, and the possibility of death. This is not how youth is meant to be spent and wasted, it should not be shadowed by responsibility so heavy, even the wise and experienced crumble beneath it. I do not wish for you to be subjected to obligations that are not your own." Dumbledore voice was imploring, fear and regret made his eyes dart over her face in a desperate need to convey meaning. Mis felt a surge of blazing pride root itself in her heart and burn her with a fierceness the likes of wish she'd never felt.

Her eyes stung at Dumbledore's words, but she fought back against it, and instead gave the old man a smile of gratitude.

"It's very difficult for me to describe how much your world has meant to me." She said softly, placing her hand on top of the one gripping her shoulder. "I'm honored to protect it, and I don't consider it a burden to fight for it; especially considering I'm partly to blame for Harry's current state. Furthermore, I'm not wasting my youth, I am turning it into something I'll be proud to remember." Mis finished with a thick voice, squeezing his bony, papery hand. Dumbledore searched her face for any misgivings, then offered her a sad smile, and removed his hand to pat her cheek in resignation of her choice.

"Would it be too much if I asked that this tender moment be sped up? We're on a timetable, and you two are making me rather nauseous." Snape said slowly, disdain dripping from his voice. Mis' smiled faded, and she turned to Snape slowly, her eyes sharpening to a death glare. "I'm walking into the underworld, you grouchy bastard." Mis said indignantly, putting her hand on her hips.

"Well I'm already there." retorted Snape, his ire rising.

"Oh, spare me your drama." Mis said, flicking her wrist in agitation "We're leaving right now." She continued, hiking her back pack up on her shoulder. Snape grabbed his coat from where is was draped over a chair, throwing over his shoulder and checking his watch again.

"Please, be careful, my dear." Said Dumbledore gently as she and Snape began walking out the door. She turned to look at him over her should.

"I'll do my best." she said lightly, a smirk curling her lips.

"I know you will." the old man replied. With that, Mis and Snape strode out the door purposefully into the fading light of the castle dungeons.

The train ride took an excruciatingly long time, both Snape and Mis remained silent throughout the trip, lost in thought. Mis was laying horizontally on the carpet-like fabric of the train compartment seats, still as stone, while within, her mind was feverishly going through everything she knew about the underworld. Mrs. Weber had referenced Elysium, so Mis thought it was safe to assume that it was, indeed, the Greek underworld. She didn't even allow herself to consider that it wasn't and that she would be going in to some other underworld totally blind.

Six hours later, they arrived at platform 9 ¾. The train was entirely empty, and the platform was desolate when they disembarked the train. Neither one spoke, Mis simply followed Snape as he walked through the barrier and out into King's Cross. It was midnight, but the station was not remotely abandoned. There were people and staff milling around, not seeming in too much of a hurry. Snape checked his watch, then turned back and looked at Mis, who was busy marveling at the glass roof.

"So easily amused." said Snape, though there was no bitterness in the comment.

"It's the little things." she replied with a smile, and followed him as he walked to a booth, that had a sign that promised car rentals.

"We would like to rent a car." Snape said in bored voice, standing at the front of the booth window, with Mis next to him. On the other side was a young man, with lingering traces of baby fat clinging to his face, and wide blue eyes.

"Yes, sir. I'll need your…" his voice trailed off, and his eyes got dreamy and distant. "…you to pick out what kind you'd like." he finished with a blank smile. Mis gave Snape a sharp look.

"Compact is fine." He replied and the young man slipped a pair of keys through the shoot underneath the window.

"The lot is back round the corner. Follow the signs." The young man said absently pointing to the exit. Snape smirked down at Mis, she rolled her eyes as they walked towards the doors.

"Really? Was that necessary?" She asked, though she couldn't help but smirk as well.

"I think so." he replied simply.

Snape found the small car, and Mis paused, looking at it with interest. It was dark with only the yellow street lamps of the parking garage illuminating her vision.

"It's kind of small for three people." She said warily, considering it with doubt in her eyes.

"It is." Snape conceded, "It is however fit for two people and a dog." He said disdainfully. "Worst comes to worst, we can just strap him to the roof." He continued, in voice that made Mis wonder if he was joking. He tossed her the keys, which she caught reflexively. She raised an eyebrow.

"Never got your permit, Snape?" she asked, amused. He ignored her, and simply hunched to get into the laughably small car. She chuckled to herself and climbed into the driver's seat.

"I've never driven anywhere but Arizona, so if I subconsciously drift to the right side of the road, bring it to my attention." She deadpanned, starting the car, switching on the radio and flipping to an oldies station.

"It would be helpful if I knew where the hell I'm going, Snape." she said mildly, turning out onto the relatively quiet city street.

"In two miles, you'll come to a round-about, take the second exit." he said, somehow making the sentence ooze disdain.

"Could you repeat that in a female, computerized voice?" she said seriously, turning to look at him.

"Just keep your eyes on the road, Holtzer. I don't fancy dying just yet." He said, clicking off the radio in disgust. She obliged smirking to herself.

"What if a double-decker bus crashes into us?" she asked, trying not to laugh at her own joke, and maintain an innocent look. Snape huffed in annoyance.

"Oh, do shut up." He said acidly, "I will not suffer the simpering lyrics of Morrissey." He continued hotly, but she wasn't listening. Instead she just hummed 'There is a Light (that Never Goes Out)' to herself softly, obeying Snape's driving directions whenever they were given.

"Over there." Snape said abruptly, about twenty minutes later, pointing at a red phone booth on the right hand sidewalk. "Just park anywhere." he said, slightly annoyed. She huffed at his testiness, and pulled up to a curb underneath a yellow streetlamp. They both got out of the car, and Snape tapped his wand on the roof of the car, causing it to briefly shimmer like a mirage, before disappearing entirely. The street was quiet, with only the very distant sounds of tires on asphalt, and the buzz of a rowdy pub nearby. Mis couldn't help but look over her shoulder nervously as they crossed the empty street to the red phone booth, that's color seemed strangely vibrant against the dark city grays.

She reached for the phone booth door, but before she could, Snape stopped her by placing both hands on either of her shoulders and looking at her dead in the eye.

"For once, listen to me, Holtzer. Security was tightened after the Ministry break-in last year, Dumbledore frequents the premises enough to know what spells have been added, and we have enough people on the inside to know the patrols. This whole thing should go smoothly, as long as you do precisely what. I. Say." Snape said, towering over her threateningly.

"I may act like an ass most of the time, Snape, but despite common belief, I do know when to stop." She said seriously, unwaveringly meeting his sharp gaze.

"Dare I hope?" he deadpanned, opening the folding door and gesturing for her to walk in, which she did. It was a tight squeeze, they had to jostle awkwardly until Snape could extricate his arm to reach into his coat pocket.

"Ow, motherfucker!" Mis whispered painfully, having had her foot stepped on by one of Snape's large black shoes. "Move you're goddamn foot, sasquatch." she said quiet, but still murderously. To Snape's credit, he did try to move, but it only caused him to lose his balance, and briefly push his face against the window pane to right himself, leaving a profile smudge on the otherwise clean darkly to himself, he extracted a gold coin from his pocket and spun the rotary. He straightened up, and placed a mask of calm on his face as they began to descend into a deeper shade of darkness.

Mis looked around in awe at the expanse before her as the booth floated down. It was austere and cold, with shiny black tiles lining the walls and floor. She could see the large fireplaces for floo travel all along the walls. In front of her was a large golden fountain with what looked, from her distance, like mermaids pouring water from their hands into the basin below them. There were clean white lights illuminating the vast space, enough to see vague shapes but no detail. When they touched down, Snape shoved her a little which jolted her out of her scrutiny.

"Move, Holtzer." He said shortly, "We only have…" He checked his watch "…six minutes." until the next patrol is due to come around". She nodded mutely and exited the booth, Snape close behind her. Her heart was beating surprisingly steady, as she followed Snape down the black tile room to an elevator to the left of the large fountain. Walking through the gold barred elevator, Mis took a moment to appreciate how well Snape and Dumbledore had planned. She realized that if this plan should fail, it would most certainly not be their fault. Her heart began beating a little faster at this thought, as the elevator dipped down farther.

Her breathing picked up a little as the bars opened, and they walked out into a long black stone hall, with a sickly green lights illuminating it. Mis almost laughed. 'Wizards are so impractical…more concerned with ambiance than actual functioning lights.' she thought to herself, smirking slightly. At the end of the hall was a door, black as the surrounding stone with a silver knob in its center. She and Snape exchanged a glance, hers a question and his a tiny affirmative nod. They began walking down the long hall, Snape's shoes clicking lightly on the floor while Mis's, thanks to Mad-eye's stealth training, were significantly lighter and softer.

They came upon it, and both paused looking at each other expectantly.

"Go on, the door has heavy lock and protection spells on it, and god knows that doesn't stop you from barging in wherever you please." Snape whispered, Mis jolted realizing she had to open it. She grasped the door knob, feeling the spells that were on it, there were many put the strongest one she could feel was some kind of electrocution.

"Ok, if it were me..." she whispered as she opened the door. "….I'd run an _actual_ electric current through the doorknob, imagine how surprising that would be for a wizard trying to break in. Maybe some surveillance cameras, a few motion detectors, possibly one of those fingerprint scanners." She said, quietly stepping into the Hall of Mysteries.

"Are you actually complaining that it was _too easy_? That could be the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard you say, which incidentally, is no mean feat for you, Holtzer." Snape hissed, narrowing his eyes in utter confusion at the girl walking beside him.

"I'm just sayin'…" she said, holding her hands up in surrender. The massive room was lined with rows upon rows of shelves, each of them at least thirty feet high, and all containing small crystal balls that exuded ghostly blue light. Snape led the way through, and Mis followed close behind. The prophecies were whispering, strange ethereal sounds that all seemed to be in some kind of synchronicity like a frightening music.

The noise made her walk a little faster, and stick herself closer to Snape's side to the point where she was practically hanging on to the sleeve of his black trench coat. He looked down at her, when her shoulder began brushing his arm.

"They can't hurt you." he said wryly, and she figured that would be the closest thing to comfort that Snape was humanly capable of. Finally, they reached a large black door, which somehow managed to look looming and ominous. Hesitantly she reached for the brass knob, and when she gripped it, she felt no enchantment upon it.

"Wait." Snape said abruptly as she made to walk through. From his inside coat pocket he pulled a long, thin black rope. "There's drop, you'll crack your skull." He said, intricately tie it around his wrist and flinging the rest out the door.

"If you drop me Snape…" she said warningly, as she sat down and skootched to the edge with her legs dangling.

"…That would certainly make my life a considerably easier." He finished, offering an almost smirk. Mis gave no reply, as she was too busy trying to ease herself down the thin robe. It grated and stung her hands as she slowly lowered herself into the dark room. When she was close enough she jumped lithely to the solid floor, inspecting her hand for friction burns a second later. Snape leapt off the edge, and hovered next to her for a moment before the charmed floor dropped him rather heavily next to her with a thud.

The room was large and circular, with black subway tile lining the walls, and full of dark jagged boulders all angled towards the large stone platform. She could hear the veil whispering, and they sounded like mournful questions and tired, restless voices. Silently, she and Snape walked up the black stairs to the gray stone archway. She felt her pulse thrum fast through her body, and her limbs began growing numb in response to the adrenaline flooding her system.

She was enraptured by the voices, and by the thin silky sheen fluttering within the archway. Snape put a hand on her shoulder, as her feet, of their own volition, carried her closer to it. She jumped slightly, and turned behind her to look at him.

"Here." He said thrusting a wand into her hand. "It was his, and I expect he'll want it." He continued, and she nodded, stuffing it into her backpack a little shakily. She turned away and took a couple steps toward the archway, before turning back around.

"Thanks Snape" she said genuinely. "You're a good man, but don't worry, I won't tell a soul." She finished with a wink. Snape snorted, and rolled his eyes.

"Such a liar you are." he said, almost fondly. Mis turned back around, and walked right in front of the The Veil. "Don't fail, Holtzer." Said Snape in his normal bored voice. She turned slowly to look at him.

"Great advice, Snape." She said sarcastically, holding two thumbs up. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and she stepped through.

It felt like walking through a thick layer of cobwebs, and it made her skin crawl. For a moment it seemed like her eyes were filled with fog, and she felt herself panic. The next moment, however, her vision cleared and her feet were on what felt like sand. The first thing her mind registered was the silence, it was heavy on her ears, like pressure at the bottom of the ocean. The sky above her was twilit, a translucent dark blue that glowed faintly without casting any real light. She looked down to see her feet sinking in to fine black sand with alarmingly beautiful white jewel-like stones that caught the pale glow of the sky above her. She could feel a dampness in the air, as if she were next to the sea, but there was no familiar smell of fish and salt, nor was there any sound of waves. Her eyes adjusted to the dark, and she could see a dock not too far away, and a strange, large shape gliding near it.

She turned back to face the Veil, unshouldered her backpack, took out one of the dark emerald inlaid daggers, and gingerly put it in her back pocket. Then she extracted several drachmas and stuffed several in each of her front pockets. She re-shoulder her backpack, and didn't allow herself to overthink her actions as she walked to the wooden platform. It was cold, but there was no breeze; no movement of any kind, the air seemed vary stale. When she reached the dock and saw the strange, gliding shape up close, she had to resist the flight mechanism as she saw the tall figure upon a ferry, which was resting on the black glass water of the river Styx.

She felt the pin thrum comfortingly against her scalp. It gave her a bit of courage to walk closer.

"Stop." said the Ferryman, in a low echoing voice. He was wearing a long, black cloak that covered his entire form and face. His hand was held up in a halting gesture. He had a large red staff in his hand that he used to steady himself as he stepped off his ferry and onto the dock. Her heart was beating wildly, but she stood straight and proud as his hooded face loomed over her. "You're not dead." he said blandly, and removed his hood. He was bald, and his skin was smooth, and pale as the moon, with electric blue veins branching along his face, scalp and neck. He had a square face shape, and Mis was transfixed by his eyes, which were a deep gold that flickered like the sun at noon.

"You cannot cross, Death has yet to claim you for his own." He said, and despite the melodramatic verbiage, he sounded supremely bored.

"Where am I supposed to go?" Mis asked, trying to sound helpless.

"I don't care." he said, waving his hand. "You'll dissipate soon enough, and it won't matter where you've been." He continued, looking her up and down. "Though you can look on the bright side if you wish, when you fade you go straight across Styx, I don't charge the 'stumblers' for passage." He said, shrugging his shoulders. "Where do the 'stumblers' go before they fade?" she asked softly, looking up into his eyes. He narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion.

"I'm afraid it's quite above my pay grade to tell you that." He said shrewdly.

She plunged her hand in her pocket and extracted three drachmas. His eyes looked greedily at the coins in her palm.

"How about now?" she asked holding them out to the Ferryman.

"You are no aimless wanderer." He said stroking his chin thoughtfully, before delicately plucking the rough-edged gold coins from her hand.

"I'm here to rescue a man taken before his time." she said. The Ferryman stared at her a moment, before shrugging his shoulders.

"Well…That's one I haven't heard in awhile." He said, his tone disinterested. "Strictly speaking, I'm not permitted to give information that could lead to population loss…" He said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "Upper management, and all that; however, considering those bastards have left me here for several millennia, without so much as a 'thank you' or 'well done'..." He said, considering her for a moment. "…Let's just say that if one were to walk along the river bank, after a time, one would notice a dense forest running parallel to it. Should a body venture to the edge of said forest, he or she might notice a thin grey road leading into it. If the person were so inclined, he or she could follow it to a crossroads, where he or she may or may not obtain what they seek." He said casually, checking his long grey fingernails. "Hypothetically, of course." He added, with a smirk.

Mis smiled.

"You're not so bad, Charon." She said happily, pulling out two more coins from her pocket. She took his ice cold hand in both of hers, causing him to look at her with mixture of trepidation and confusion, then placed the coins in his hand.

"I haven't heard _that_ in awhile either." He said softly, watching the sharp eyed girl turn and jump lithely from the dock onto the black sand, and jog smoothly until her form melted into the foggy twilight.

Mis jogged lightly along the bank, noting how the fog around her was growing denser with each stride. She lost track of time, she jogged but didn't get tired, and the sky seemed frozen between sunset and nightfall. Out of the opaque fog she began to see a tree line, the trees were thin, tall and black, with pale iridescent leaves. As she approached she saw the road the Ferryman had spoken of. The black sand faded away to rich brown soil, and the road looked like grey clay heavily packed into the earth. It was so very quiet, there was no whispering breeze, nor any soft rustling of animals or insects.

It made her uneasy, the pressing silence. Her heart picked up a bit, and she felt a rolling in the pit of her stomach. She took a deep breath and stepped onto the path, and walked briskly through the tightly packed trees. The silence was getting to her, it felt so lonely and hopeless; she felt it seep into her bones. She stopped as she felt its weight on her muscles. 'I need to break it.' she thought to herself, she felt like if she didn't it would somehow consume her. "What would Orpheus do?" she said to herself aloud. 'He would sing.' she realized, so she did. It was a song her father had sung to her when she little.

It had sweet lyrics, and a soft melody that floated through the air peacefully. It gave her courage as she continued down the path, deeper into the wood.

"You have a lovely voice." Spoke a soft feminine voice, up ahead beyond a curve in the path. Mis froze.

"Thank you." she said, more like a question than a statement of gratitude. She heard a gentle chuckle.

"Come closer." the voice requested. Mis obeyed, walking hesitantly around the bend. The path lead her to a clearing where the road branched in three directions, and right at the point of intersection was a woman. She was like no woman Mis had ever seen before. She had black, velvety curls that fell around her angular face and down to her hips. Her skin showed no age and was luminescent and holding a soft blush that matched her cherry lips. Her eyes were feline and slanted, with irises colored like a summer sky, bright blue with gold flecks in the center. She was tall and slender, and in a dress that shimmered like a river flashing sunlight. She definitely looked like a goddess.

"Hecate?" Mis said hesitantly, as she approached the woman. Her beautiful face broke into a wide smile, and she nodded. Mis walked closer to her and smiled as well, then she unshouldered her backpack and crouched down. She took the herbs Snape had given her, and reverently placed the herbs at the goddess's feet. She kept her head bowed trying to look servile.

"Would you please tell me how to find Sirius Black?" She murmured softly. She felt the woman bend in front of her, and felt a warm hand gently life her chin, coaxing her to stand.

"There is no need to bow, Artemis, but I do thank you for the offering. The Weaver chose right with you." She said softly. Mis furrowed her brows in thought before realizing what the word 'weaver' was in in German.

"Mrs. Weber…?" She asked, her voice a mixture of confusion and wonder.

The lady gave her a knowing smile, and inclined her head in affirmation. "So you and Mrs. Weber know each other?" She asked, her brain hurting from all the confusion that had taken grip of her life since she took the damn pin from that old bat.

"She is one of the ancients, like myself…But you did not come here for knowledge." She said, in her low ethereal voice.

"You're the one being cryptic." Mis replied accusatorially. "You could've just told me where to find Sirius without any extraneous details about Mrs. Weber being 'one of the ancients' or whatever." She said gripping her head, as if that would prevent her brain from exploding. "What's the fun in that?" the lady said, smirking slightly with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Can we, for once, just be _clear_? I know it's not nearly as fun for you people playing god, but I'd really appreciate it." Mis said, rubbing her eyes wearily.

"Truth comes to us when it is needed, not when it is demanded." Hecate replied, demurely reprimanding Mis for her sarcasm.

Mis gave the lady a mild look, shaking her head softly.

"You know what? Fine." Mis said, with a shrug and a frown. "Could you just tell me how to find Sirius, so I can get the hell…no pun intended, out of here?" she said, resigning herself to the fact that the goddess wasn't going to tell her anything else about Mrs. Weber.

"Follow me." The lady replied solemnly, and began walking down the center path. Mis did as bade, and followed the woman through the winding curves of the grey road. It didn't take long for them to reach a small meadow that seemed brighter than the rest of the forest, the grass was tall and dark green, and the black trees weren't looming over as they had before.

"It is a good thing you came when you did, he has begun fading; he has fought it more persistently than those before him, yet he cannot fight it much longer." She said pointing to a mass huddled against a large stone across the field. Mis' legs ran of their own accord towards it, stopping when she was able to make out the shivering form of Sirius Black. His face was hidden in his hands, and his whole body was shaking violently. She took a step closer.

"Sirius?" she said softly, and took another step. He didn't respond, she crouched down beside him, staring at the wavy black hair falling around his covered face, it was almost to his shoulders and looked like it badly needed washing. "Sirius, I've come to get you out." she said, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.

He jolted at her touch, hastily dropping his hand and looking up, with an expression of hopeless confusion which slowly morphed into awe. He had a handsome face, and Mis could see why he had been the heartbreaker of the marauders, even in his current disheveled state. He had the Black family grey eyes that she had seen in Mrs. Malfoy, except his were darker, like river stones. He stared into her eyes in wonder for a long moment, before glancing over her shoulder. Mis followed his gaze to see Hecate standing above her, with a satisfied look on her face.

"Did I not say she would come?" She asked Sirius, with pride evident in her tone.

"I did not believe it." Sirius croaked, his throat sounding underused. Mis glanced between Sirius and Hecate.

"You knew I'd come?" Mis asked the goddess, who smiled warmly and inclined her head. Sirius cleared his throat and stood up, straightened the tattered burgundy coat he was wearing, and offered Mis a hand up. He still had the look of awe in his eyes as he helped her to stand. "Well, I guess we don't need introductions, seeing as you were expecting me." Mis said with an awkward little laugh.

"I suppose not, though I can honestly say, it's wonderful to meet you Artemis." He said, gripping her hand in both of his, almost reverently.

"Just call me Mis, and I'll call you Sirius, if that's alright with you." She said, giving him a sweet smile.

"You can call me whatever you want." Sirius replied, with a light chuckle. The girls dark eyes glittered, "You're gonna regret that statement. Mad-eye sure as hell did, I call him Peggy." She said, her voice light and warning. Sirius laughed.

"Do your worst, love." He said opening his arms wide as if he were sacrificing himself.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." she replied, with a smile and a shrug. Sirius swayed a little on the spot and clutched his head. Mis put a hand on his arm, "Let's get you out of here." Mis said kindly, taking his arm and slinging it around her shoulder, while putting her own arm around his waist to steady him as much as she could. He was too tall for her to offer any real support, but she could at least provide a modicum of balance for him. Hecate smiled with her cherry lips at Mis.

"Go quickly, this realm has taken a great deal of his strength, though he should be fine once you take him through to the land of the living." Mis nodded.

"Thank you…my lady?" she said, not entirely sure how to address Hecate in a way that showed her respect, and gratitude. The goddess smiled.

"You are most welcome, Artemis." The goddess said.

Mis began walking back to the grey road, with a dazed looking Sirius beside her and silently leaning on her small frame. Before Mis took four steps, the goddess was, all of a sudden, in front of her making the young girl jump a little.

"Honestly…" she said clutching her heart, "Is it possible for you people to get my attention without putting me into cardiac arrest?" She said imploringly. Hecate had a troubled look on her face, and for a moment she looked young and not quite so regal, as she looked down.

"Artemis, would you do me a favor?" the goddess asked, looking up.

"Of course." Mis replied without thinking.

"Remember the difference between evil born, and evil made… anything made can be unmade, gifts given can be taken back, and love _does_ cover a multitude of sins." The goddess said, her summer sky eyes intensely searching Mis' own dark ones.

Mis' first impulse was to say 'yep, could've gotten that info from a fortune cookie', however, the fierce look on the goddesses face stopped Mis from being the smartass she normally was; instead she nodded her head solemnly.

"Please Artemis, do not forget." Hecate said, her voice returning to a deeper, royal sounding tone.

"I won't." Mis promised, truly considering the goddesses words. Hecate placed a hand gently on Mis' cheek, running her thumb along the girls peachy skin soothingly. Mis smiled at the gesture before feeling Sirius lean even more heavily on her.

"Take him." Hecate said, pointing to the grey road across the meadow. Mis didn't need to be told twice, adjusting Sirius's arm on her shoulder, she began leading him through the tall grass towards the path. She glanced back at the goddess over her shoulder, but she was nowhere to be seen. Mis rolled her eyes fondly, 'these people…always with the dramatics' she thought to herself. Mis and Sirius walked along the path, which seemed shorter than when she had first walked it. Sirius didn't seem capable of speech, as all his energy seemed to be focused on not collapsing.

They passed the cross roads, and Mis saw her offerings carefully placed on a white stone alter in the same location where the goddess had been standing. Sirius was getting heavier, and more difficult for her to support with every step. She trudged through the dark trees, and finally after what felt like entirely too long, she and Sirius emerged from the dense forest.

The sky remained has it had when she had first come through the veil, and it made her question how long she had actually been in the underworld. She looked up at Sirius as they walked along the river bank; his eyes were glazed, and his skin even more sallow than when she first laid eyes on him. The fog was still heavy, making it difficult to see, causing Sirius to stumble on one of the white gemlike rocks wedged into the black sand, nearly making Mis lose her balance. His breath was becoming more ragged, and Mis was starting to get worried.

"Don't you dare pussy out on me now, Sirius Black, you can do it." She said, managing to sound both threatening and encouraging at the same time. The only reply she got was a weary utterance of affirmation from the man leaning on her.

Finally, the fog began to dissolve away and she could see the dock and the tall figure of the ferryman standing hunched on his boat. Mis sighed in relief, and attempted to usher Sirius along a little faster. She reached the point where the dock and sand met, and the ferryman hopped off his vessel lightly and walked over to Mis. Charon simply stared at her without speaking, a strange approval in his gold eyes.

"Thanks." She said simply, offering him a smile.

"My pleasure." he said, patting his chest with a smirk, the gold coins clinking. "You shall have free passage…the next time you come." He continued, gesturing to his boat. Mis gave a wry smile.

"One less thing to worry about." She said.

With that, she turned and spied the stone archway, then back around to bid the ferryman farewell, but he was already walking down the edge of the dock. Sirius was leaning almost his entire weight on Mis, and she was straining and hunched beneath it. She dragged him to just in front of the arch.

"Ok, you're first Lazerus." she said. She slipped her shoulders out from under his arm, but kept her hand on his waist to guide him through. She walked him up to the rippling veil, placing a hand on his back to urge him forward. He placed a hand out to feel out the Veil, but as his hand made contact it seem like he was touching something solid.

"I tried going back, but I could never push back through." Sirius said, his voice hoarse. She felt the pin thrum, in replied to the man's statement. She pulled it from her ponytail, and felt its heat flutter in her palm.

"Take my hand." she said holding her hand out to Sirius, he took it, wincing slightly at the contact.

"It burns." He said. She rolled her eyes.

"Wimp" she said, and stepped through the veil, leading Sirius, who met no resistance this time.


	10. Reunions, Hugs, and Death Eaters

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to post, but at times I do have to pretend to be an adult, however much it grieves me. This story is taking a bit of a darker turn, it's something I hadn't really anticipated, but I enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Don't forget to leave a review telling me if you loved it or hated it, as reviews are my primary source of sustenance.**

 **Author's Note 2: A million thanks to bleeding blue and guest, who offer the nicest reviews a writer could ask for. I really hope you two enjoy this chapter!**

 **P.S. Please forgive any spelling and/or grammatical errors you may find.**

 **Disclaimer: No...I don't own Harry Potter**

 **Chapter 10: Reunions, Hugs, and Death Eater Interludes**

It felt the same as when Mis had entered the Veil, like walking through a layer of thick cobwebs; the sensation made a shiver tiptoe up her back to the base of her neck. The mist of the Veil blinded her and she felt Sirius lean his side collapse against her. The moment they were both through, Sirius dropped Mis' hand, and doubled over while gulping air like he had been submerged underwater too long and had just broken the surface. Mis stuffed the pin into her front pocket, and before she could even process her victory, she saw Snape striding over to her with his mouth set in a grim line and his coal eyes raging.

"Bloody fucking hell, Holtzer! You were in there nearly 5 hours, people are going to begin arriving to their jobs any goddamn minute!" He shouted, gesturing around the room wildly.

Mis cocked her head to one side, folded her arms primly, and took several strolling, casual steps towards Snape. She held up one finger in wait-a-second gesture, then she opened her mouth intending to spit some verbal fire at him. Before she could, however, Sirius stepped protectively in front of her, as if attempting to shield her from Snape's wrath.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Sirius asked, through gritted teeth, his breathing still labored. Snape raise an eyebrow wryly and, instead of answering him, looked around Sirius's body at Mis, who was feeling a little agitated.

"Holtzer." Snape said, almost pleasantly. "Kindly put your new _mutt_ on a leash."

Sirius's face twisted.

"I'd rather be dog than a snake." He spat at Snape, taking a threatening step closer. Mis slide her jaw, thoroughly unamused by their animosity towards each other.

"Haven't been out of the Veil, two damn minutes…" She complained to herself, feeling a headache coming on. Snape considered the man before himself.

"Congratulations Black, your wish has been granted… You are, most assuredly, a _dog_." Snape drawled lazily, his face a sneering mask of disdain.

Each took a step closer, invading each-others personal space, and both looked like they would quite enjoy maiming or dismembering the other.

"Ok…" Mis said in a no nonsense tone, stepping out from behind Sirius and standing between him and Snape. She placed a hand on each of their chests, gently pushing them apart. "We need to get out of here, so lets just try and get along for twenty minutes, then you two can squabble to your hearts content." she said diplomatically, favoring both men with a stern look.

"I'm not going anywhere with bloody _Snivellus_." Sirius derisively, crossing his arms like a twelve year old and, although he didn't actually stick his tongue out, Mis wouldn't have put it past him.

"That's damn fine by me, mongrel. Merlin knows you're nothing but a burden to the entire Order; you and your blasted godson, walking around with that pathetic reckless savior-complex." Snape retorted back hotly.

"Oh, why don't you back to your little Death Eater meeting, you goddamn traitor. Dumbledore may think you're _our_ spy, but you've never fooled me." Sirius shouted over Mis' head.

"That's it!" Mis yelled, her dark eyes flashing dangerously. Both Snape and Mis looked down at the small girl, and she was pleased to see a bit of alarm in their faces. "One more word out of either of you, and I'll tell everyone the reason you two fight so frequently is because of sexual tension." She said in a low voice, rapidly twisting to point at each man threateningly. "I've got a vivid imagination, and I _will_ use it." She warned.

The two men looked appalled and disgusted, and Mis was satisfied with the silence that descended over them.

"Wonderful." she said brightly, shifting gears rapidly and smiling at the two men on either side of her. "Shall we?" she said, hopping off the stone platform, and standing beneath the black door embedded in the wall twenty feet high. She looked up at it, then back at the two men, who were still frozen glaring daggers at each other. "Sometime today would be nice, fellas." She said impatiently. Snape broke away first, and grudgingly walked over to where Mis was standing, Sirius following after a moment of consideration. He waved his hand, and the door opened. He levitated himself to the top, stepping through the door with a mild look on his face. "Up you go." Mis said to Sirius, who levitated himself as well. Snape threw down the thin black rope that had burned her hands. She made a hasty slip knot and put one foot through it.

She tugged twice on the rope, and Snape slowly hoisted her up. She scrambled at the ledge when she reached it, ungracefully dragging herself the rest of the way up. Sirius offered her a hand up from her kneeling position, she took it, then brushed herself off and straighten her shirt with dignity. She looked at both men.

"It's a quarter to five." Snape said, checking his watch. "If we hurry, we can avoid the next patrol outside the Hall of Mysteries."

Mis nodded and, together, the three of them walked briskly down the ghostly, green lit hall.

"Patrols?" Sirius asked, his brows furrowing.

"Yes…" replied Snape in a bored and slightly condescending voice. "Security increased after Potter broke in last year." Snape continued disdainfully.

"Wait…Last year?" Sirius said, his voice hushed but shocked. Snape looked like he wanted to offer a snarky reply.

"Yeah, there must be some kind of time warp thing happening in the underworld, because it certainly didn't feel like I was in there for five hours." Mis replied. "Hey, you're out now, Sirius, it's gonna be ok." She added, noticing the slightly troubled expression on the marauder's face, and offering him a small smile. He gave her a nod, but made no verbal reply.

They arrived at the Hall of Mysteries and, despite the fact that Mis had just been to the underworld, the vast dark room and whispering blue orbs still made her feel uneasy. At last, they were on the other side, and Mis was grateful to spy the large black door with the silver knob in the center. Mis and Snape exchanged a look after reaching the door and, after a prompting nod from Snape, Mis hesitantly opened the door. She still sensed the electrocution spell on it as she stuck her head through. When she confirmed the coast was clear, she opened the door wider and waved the two men through, then followed them closing the door behind her.

It was still deserted as the three of them jogged quietly to the gold barred elevator. After a tense, silent ride upwards, they arrived in the atrium. Snape stepped out first, his wand held at the ready as he gave the room a cursory glance before waving Mis and Sirius into the expansive room urgently. All Mis could hear were the soft tapping of her and her companions' feet on the shiny floor, and the soft bubbling of the gold fountain, as they quickly jogged to the red phone booth which, blessedly, was still right where it had been left.

Mis was first to step into the booth, and she noticed with amusement that the two men had not followed her in. They were standing in front of it, pure loathing in their eyes as they glared at each other. Mis held back a smile.

"Come on guys, it'll be nice and cozy." She said merrily, feeling profoundly entertained by their discomfort. Snape gave her the look he repeated anytime she was being a happy pain in the ass, before walking into the booth with an agitated huff. He maneuvered himself behind Mis, obviously using her as a shield against physical contact with his sworn enemy.

With a sigh of defeat and a shake of his head, Sirius mushed himself into the confining space, wriggling awkwardly to close the folding door. Mis was trying hard not to blush, as she was sandwiched between the two men. The top of her head reached barely to their shoulders, and all she could see was the fabric of their clothes. She became hypersensitive to the fact that her entire body was being touched by some part of them. Her back being flush against Snape's front, and her front flush against Sirius's.

'Goddammit.' she thought to herself in exasperation, as she felt her cheeks go hot. Mis was trying to find a place to look, but they were everywhere as the phone booth ascended at a laughable slow rate. There was nothing Mis could do to stem the waves of cringe inducing awkwardness threatening to shut her body down, and the next moment her brain shorted out under the stress of the situation. She started giggling softly, and in an attempt to stop, she bowed her head and lifted her hand to cover her mouth. That, however, did little to stop laughter from bubbling up in her throat.

"What's funny?" Sirius asked curiously, looking down at Mis. She looked up to meet his eyes, her giggling ever present.

"Don't encourage her." Snape deadpanned to Sirius.

"I was just thinking about the drive back to Hogwarts." She said, waving her hand casually, her voice cracking in amusement. "I remember seeing a _three-way_ street." She continued, laughing in earnest now. Sirius's face went a little red, and he gave a snort.

"Christ, Holtzer." Snape grumbled, and Mis could practically feel his eye roll.

They made it to the top at long last, with Mis almost crying from laughter. The soft light of early morning was bleeding into the sky, veiling the stars and waking up the city. The worry that had gripped Mis since Snape had taken her from Mad-eye and Remus was gone, leaving a effervescent giddiness that, paired with her lack of sleep, was causing Mis to lose control of her faculties. They exited the phone booth, Mis still chuckling to herself. There were several bleary eyed people walking along the sidewalk, making their way to their respective jobs, taking little to no notice of the three people.

"We're being scouted, Holtzer." Snape whispered to her through gritted teeth. The girl's giddiness evaporated.

"I didn't see anybody." Mis replied, looking around.

"You were too busy cackling like a bloody hyena." Snape retorted acidly. "Just hurry, and get in the car." He finished, waving his wand elaborately as they crossed the street, making the car materialize. Mis extracted the keys from her pocket, fumbling nervously with the car lock. She opened the door and took the dagger out of her pocket, stuffing it in her backpack as Sirius scrambled into the backseat. Mis hopped in the driver's seat, starting the ignition, and peeling away from the curb just as Snape was closing his door.

"Ok, we're fine." Mis said, more to herself than her companions.

"Turn right at Hampton." Snape said, letting out a large breath of air.

"I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I think that went pretty damn well." She said, smiling over at Snape brightly. He had his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose and offered an imperious hand wave as a reply. Mis glanced at Sirius in the rearview mirror. "So…Sirius." She said, "Quite a bit has happened…"

Mis gave Sirius the reader's digest version of events, keeping out anything about her immunity to magic or how she came to be there, figuring such information would just convolute her synopsis. He listened quietly, allowing her to talk without interruption.

"Basically, Harry needs-YOU ASSCLOWN." She yelled suddenly, slamming on the breaks. Sirius and Snape braced themselves in fear of impact. "Did you see that dickhead cut me off?" She said murderously, pointing at a Mini-Cooper weaving through traffic. "Snape, turn the bastard into a potted plant for me." She said huffily, shifting in her seat.

"Sorry Holtzer, I'm not prepared to violate the Statute of Secrecy for your road rage." He said blandly.

"Everyone ok?" She asked, getting back up to speed.

She took their collective silence as affirmation.

"Where is Harry now?" Sirius asked, his face intense as she glance at him in the rearview mirror.

"Under a sleep drought in Dumbledore study." Replied Mis.

"What? Why?!" Sirius exclaimed in an appalled voice. Mis was about to further explain, but Snape cut her off.

"Have you been listening at all, Black? Your precious godson has been terrorizing students and staff…Even his little friends have not been safe from his temper tantrums." Snape sneered in his best impassive voice. "Have you been in a state of drooling idiocy for so long that you can no longer comprehend even the simplest of concepts?" Snape inquired, condescension positively oozing out of every syllable.

' _Well the peace lasted longer than anyone could_ _'_ _ve anticipated_.' Mis thought to herself mildly. She knew they would start pecking at each other, but she had hoped they would be able to contain themselves until they reached Hogwarts, as there are few things more annoying than two people bickering while another one is trying to drive.

"Don't you dare talk down to me, you treacherous snake. Harry will be fine, and nothing you say can make me think otherwise." Sirius spat proudly, leaning back in his seat.

"Wouldn't dream of breaking your carefully constructed delusions." Snape replied, his face forward and his voice emotionless.

"Oh, you want to talk about delusions?" Sirius asked. Mis was having none of it, so instead of allowing them to argue she turned on the radio with a mild look on her face. She smiled serenely as Sting came on, singing about a prostitute, then bumped the volume a little higher. Snape gave her a look that would wilt a cactus.

Mis had a reasonably good directional memory, so she found the way back to King's Cross with minimal help from Snape. Her lack of sleep was starting to make the world look surreal and hazy, and her stomach felt as though it might devour itself if she didn't get food in it soon. In a daze, she followed Snape as he returned the rental and then through the barrier leading to platform 9 ¾. Sirius was hovering over her protectively, placing a steady hand on her back as she swayed onto the train; Snape was, as always, untroubled by her discomfort.

They boarded without incident, Mis dragging her feet to the nearest compartment, and dropping her backpack on the floor. She laid down on the seat, curling up with her knees bent to make room for whoever was going to sit next to her. It was still relatively dark, and she figured she would be able to get some sleep. She shut her eyes, her stomach grumbling unpleasantly and, right before she drifted off, she felt someone place a cover over her body. She was too tired to care who it had been, but she smiled when she smelled lemon grass.

Far too soon, Mis was dragged out of her blissful nap.

"Wake up, Holtzer." Snape said curtly. The late morning sun was blazing through the train compartment window, burning her eyelids mercilessly. She groaned in protest, and snuggled beneath the coat that had been placed over her. Snape snatched the coat away unceremoniously, causing Mis to curl further into the seat against the slight chill. She slowly opened her eyes. Snape was standing over her, the coat draped over his arm and looking entirely too pleased with himself.

"Your cruelty knows no bounds." Mis said, her voice calm and her face serious.

"I've met my good deeds quota for the year in a span of 24 hours, Holtzer, so I'm fresh out of molly coddling." He replied, looking down at her with a slightly amused expression. "We'll be to Hogwarts in 15 minutes." Snape said, sitting down on the seat across from her.

Mis yawned, and sat up, stretching her body. She felt as though she'd been beaten within an inch of her life, then realized she _had_ , in fact, been beaten up yesterday by Remus. She looked around the room with bleary eyes.

"Where's Sirius?" She asked curiously.

"Blessedly in another compartment." Snape replied disdainfully, looking at the landscape rush by through the window.

"I'll go check on him." She said, heaving herself to stand, her muscles aching.

"It's your time." Snape replied in a bored voice. Mis rolled her eyes, and hobbled over the neighboring compartment, clutching the walls for balance. She slid the door open, and smiled as Sirius looked up.

"You doing ok?" She asked, plopping down next to him on the seat.

"Better than I have been in a long time." Sirius said, nodding thoughtfully and looking out into space.

"You know…" He said, turning to look at her. "…when I was stuck in that place, the goddess would often speak of you, and how you would come." He said, his dark grey eyes intense.

"What did she say?" Mis asked curiously. Sirius smiled.

"She said you were a contradiction, with a gentle heart and a steel trap mind, and that it was your self-appointed mission to 'restore the broken.'" He said. Mis was little taken aback, but pleased with what the goddess had said about her. "She also said you'd be a wild beauty, like a forest at nightfall." He said with a cheeky wink.

Mis gave him a level look, though what she wanted to do was giggle like a silly schoolgirl.

"Don't try and charm me, honey, I'm impervious to flattery." She said lightly, giving him a stern look.

"Whatever is the point of being devilishly good looking, if I can't make pretty girls blush every now and then?" Sirius replied, throwing his arms up in mock frustration. Unable to contain it any longer she let a giggle bubble up through her lips.

"Dear Lord." She said rolling her eyes, "How does your ego even fit in such an enclosed space." She inquired with a smirk.

"It _is_ a constant struggle of mine, love." He said, with a long-suffering sigh.

'He's a shameless flirt.' Mis thought to herself, shaking her head. She felt a small crush forming on the flirtatious marauder, and her face blushed prettily at this realization.

"I think you'll appreciate this…" Mis said turning to sit cross legged with a wicked glitter in her eyes. She proceeded to tell him about the rumors that were circulating about the supposed triangle between Draco, Snape, and herself. In no time, she had Sirius howling with laughter at her antics towards Snape.

"Bloody hell." He said, wiping away the moisture that was seeping out of the corner of his eyes. "Why in the world has the bastard not hexed you into oblivion?" Sirius asked, in a dumbfounded voice.

Mis realized she still hadn't told him about her unusual characteristic. She smirked to herself.

"I could tell you…but it would be more entertaining for me to show you." She stood up briefly forgetting about her painful muscles, and pulled Sirius to his feet as well. She led him into the train aisle. "Stand here." She said, positioning him, then walking ten paces down. She turned too face him.

"Alright, hex me." She said, motioning with her hands in a 'come at me' gesture.

"I'm not going to hex you." Sirius said, appalled. She rolled her eyes.

"Just do it." she said impatiently.

"No, I could hurt you." Sirius replied, his brows furrowing.

"Come on, Lassie, come on." She taunted, slapping her knees excitedly. Sirius narrowed his eyes at her.

"I resent that." he said.

"You want to act like a bitch, I'll give you a bitch's name." She said mockingly.

Sirius pantomimed laughter sarcastically before pulling his wand from the inner pocket of his burgundy coat.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." He warned, before shooting a purple beam of light at her. Mis sensed the spells intent, it was a jelly legs jinx and, per the usual she felt nothing and was totally unaffected as the spell absorbed into her abdomen. Sirius squinted his eyes, and cocked his head to one side.

"That's…different." He said hesitantly.

"Isn't it though?" She said, sauntering over to him with a wide smile on her face.

"How?" he said, his eyes still narrowed in confusion. She shrugged her shoulders.

"Your guess is as good as mine." she replied, thoroughly enjoying the befuddled expression on Sirius's face.

Mis felt the train slow, and halt jerkily a moment later causing her to stumble awkwardly and clutch the wall for support, Sirius offered her a steady hand, but she waved it off. Snape emerged from the other compartment, looking supremely irritated at his lot in life. Mis grabbed her backpack, and disembarked the train after Snape and Sirius. There was no one in sight, on the open train platform, for which, Mis was grateful. It was a cold day, but the sun was bright even if she could see storm clouds threatening rain in the distance. Mis enjoyed the Scottish weather, even though her desert blood was too thin to keep her sufficiently warm.

She heard a sharp intake of breath, and turned to see Snape clutching his left forearm, which he had glamoured to hide his dark mark.

"You ok?" Mis asked, walking over to him.

"I'm being summoned." He replied through clenched teeth, looking into the girl's troubled face. "Take Black to the headmaster; don't let anyone see you." He said curtly. Mis nodded, and after a moment of consideration, launched herself at Snape, and squeezed him tightly around his middle.

"What the hell are you doing, Holtzer?" Snape asked, his voice genuinely confused, and his arms held up and not touching her. Mis smiled into the fabric of his shirt.

"It's called a hug, idiot." She replied softly. Hesitantly, he brought his arms around her, and Mis wondered, rather sadly, how long it had been since someone had given him a hug. His grip was so light, she wondered if he was worried about breaking her. Still holding him, she looked up into his black eyes, the sun burning into her own.

"Be careful, Snape." She said quietly, moving away from the embrace.

"Of course, Holtzer." He replied, his tone gentler than normal. She offered him a smile, and he almost returned it, before turning on the spot and vanishing with a crisp pop.

"Why did you do that?" asked Sirius, his face scrunched and in a voice that indicated he considered hugging Snape to be the most ridiculous thing anyone could do. Mis turned to him slowly, a contemptuous look on her face.

"Because kindness is not something he's accustomed to, and I intend to change that." She replied haughtily, daring him to question her.

"He bloody well does that to himself, doesn't he? He treats everyone with contempt, he doesn't give them a _chance_ to be kind. Treat others the way you want to be treated, is all I'm saying." Sirius insisted, clearly not taking the fire in the girl's eyes seriously.

"That's an awfully bold statement for to make, Sirius." She said in a low voice. "Considering I had to save your ass from the underworld because you couldn't treat a goddamn house elf the way you wished to be treated." She said, watching in grim satisfaction as the comment hit home. "You kicked and bullied Kreacher, and because of your actions, he set events in motion that took you away from Harry." She said harshly, and giving him a hard look. "Practice what you preach, is all _I'm_ saying." She finished with an imperious stare.

The girl's eyes softened as she saw something like regret touch Sirius's face. Mis knew she had a temper that got away with her at times, regardless of whether she had been justified, she felt a little sorry at rebuking him.

"Don't talk about kindness as if it's something that can be wasted." She said gently, moving a little closer to him. He looked troubled, so Mis sidled over to him and gave him a hug in apology. He returned it instantly, and Mis found his arms were very warm and comfortable against the Scottish chill. She smiled and looked up at him, and he down at her.

"See? Hugs are nice." She said simply, watching his eyes cheer at her words. He narrowed his eyes, breaking away to look at her more closely.

"One moment you're scolding me for my admittedly poor life decisions, and then you bloody comfort the ego you just destroyed…What _are_ you?" He said smiling at the girl, and shaking his head in wonder. Mis laughed, then nodded her head in consideration.

"Well…If you can't beat 'em, confuse 'em." she said with a smirk.

Mis made Sirius dissolution himself and, together, they walked the dirt road that lead to the castle. It was a beautiful day, and being the weekend, there were many students outside, enjoying the crisp autumn air. She garnered several curious stares, no doubt brought on by her rather disheveled appearance, and her absence at both dinner last night, and breakfast this morning. She considered it was a damn good thing Snape wasn't with her, as that would no doubt raise questions that would torture the poor potions master, and amuse Mis. She kept a steady confident gait, not hurrying in order to avoid drawing attention. She could practically feel the waves of nervous energy radiating of Sirius like thick static, though this apparently didn't deter him from his typical prankster attitude. Apparently, some comedic opportunities are simply too tempting for even the most anxious of marauders.

The invisible Sirius would wait until there were five or more students in the general vicinity, then he would tickle her ear or poke her in the ribs. Each time making her squeak, or itch frantically at her ear. Students would then proceed to look at Mis as though she were a complete lunatic.

"Do it again, and I'm having you neutered." She whispered murderously. All she got in reply was Sirius's disembodied laughter, and another poke in the ribs as a large group of fifth years walked merrily by. She was plotting revenge as they walked through the courtyard, and the massive Hogwarts entrance.

"Miss Holtzer." She heard the moment she walked through, and turned to see Dumbledore walking toward her serenely. He look weary and, despite his calm façade, Mis could sense he was deeply troubled by the urgent flickering in his piercing eyes. She heard Sirius inhale sharply, Dumbledore must've heard it too, for the next moment his eyes glanced over to the space where Sirius stood invisible. He looked back at Mis with an inscrutable look in his eyes, before his face broke into a small smile. Gratitude shone from it like warm light, and she found that she couldn't not look directly at it lest it burn her eyes in the same way the sun would.

He said nothing and neither did Mis, as he led them past the portrait hall and to the gargoyle guarding his office. He waved his hand, the gargoyle receded into the wall, and the stone stairs began rising. Mis hopped on first, and she heard a gentle tap next to her as Sirius followed.

She opened the door to Dumbledore's office. It was cluttered as always, and in the far corner next to the large window was a cot with Harry in it. Sirius materialized in front of her and ran to him, kneeling down. Sirius placed a shaking hand on the top of Harry's head. Dumbledore plucked a blue bottle, seemingly out of thin air, and passed it to Sirius wordlessly. He took it with the hand that wasn't on Harry, uncorked it with his teeth, and then gently tipped the contents into the boy's slightly open mouth.

A moment later Mis saw Harry's eyes flutter, and open slowly. His head turned to look at Sirius, his green eye's blank and uncomprehending as he saw his godfather.

"Harry?" Sirius said, his voice thick as he tenderly brushed the boy's hair out of his eyes.

"It's me, I'm here." Sirius said softly. Harry blinked rapidly, as if trying to clear his head. He stared at Sirius, the look on his face indicating he didn't dare hope that his godfather was truly there.

"Sirius." Harry croaked, his voice hoarse from sleep. Harry reached his hand out, gingerly touching Sirius's shoulder, testing his reality.

"You're gone." Said Harry, furrowing his brow.

"I was, but I'm here now. I'm here, I promise." Sirius said in a quavering voice.

"No, Sirius. Don't do this…" Harry said desperately, pulling away from his godfather, and sitting up with his back against the windowsill. "This is a dream, and soon enough, I'll wake up and you'll be gone again." He said, shaking his head, looking ahead with a blank stare.

"Harry, please." Sirius begged, "I'm here, and I'm not leaving." He insisted. At hearing his godfather's plea, Harry turned his bright green eyes to Sirius. He didn't have his glasses on, and Mis could clearly see the tears forming in them. He seemed to lock eyes with Sirius for a long time before it happened. It seemed as if something cracked deep in his vivid eyes, letting the pain bleed away like poison out of an infected wound.

Harry launched himself into Sirius's arms, like a drowning man throwing himself at a life line, and Sirius clutched Harry in much the same way. Mis could feel sharp, hot tears threatening to fall from her eyes, and she didn't bother to fight them down. She suddenly felt like an emotional voyeur, and turned away in an attempt to give Sirius and Harry privacy, brushing the tears from her cheeks.

"How are you here?" Harry asked in wonder after a few moments, pulling away from Sirius and sniffing loudly. Mis, who was trying to look very interested in the large hour glass on one of Dumbledore's massive bookshelves, felt a hand upon her shoulder. She looked up at Dumbledore, whose eyes were glittering with unshed tears. He smiled, and began to lead her over to the cot where Harry had been laying. She made a small noise of protest, not wanting to intrude, or be thanked. Sirius was sitting on the cot next to Harry, his hand outstretched, beaconing Mis to come closer.

"Mis brought me back, she walked through the underworld to bring me home." Sirius said with something like reverence in his voice. Mis decided to bite the bullet and walk over, if they wanted to show their gratitude so be it. She felt it would be wrong of her to brush aside their thanks, regardless of how unnecessary she thought it was. She smiled warmly at Sirius, then looked at Harry. She could see regret in his vivid green eyes, no doubt him remembering their last encounter. It wasn't even a question of forgiving him, in her mind there was nothing to forgive. She had blamed herself for Harry's meltdown, she tried to convey her feelings through her eyes and the slightest shake of her head. He seemed to understand, and for the first time since meeting him, he offered her a smile, which she returned.

"Thank you." He said, and Mis could tell he hadn't the words to display his emotions, but she didn't mind.

"I owe you a life debt, Mis." Said Sirius gravely, making Mis turn to look in his intense dark grey eyes. The girl rolled her own eyes good naturedly.

"Honestly, you wizards are so dramatic." She said with a smirk curling her lips. "Now…" She said switching gears lightly. "If there isn't food in my mouth in ten seconds, my stomach will implode, causing a black hole to form, ripping space-time and rendering the last 24 hours totally useless as we are all consumed in the oblivion of my hunger…" she deadpanned "…Literally." added for emphasis. Sirius chuckled, and Dumbledore who had been watching silently with glistening eyes, gave Mis a meaningful look before smiling kindly and materializing several trays of steaming food on his suddenly cleared oak desk.

Mis wasted no time in grabbing a chair, flipping it over to the desk, a plopping down to devour everything.

"Well come on, everyone's got to be hungry." she said impatiently. Sirius jumped up at her tone, as did Harry. With Dumbledore watching fondly, the three ate feverishly, not concerned with savoring the delicious food, but merely trying to quell their grumbling stomachs. Mis and her companions laughed and enjoyed each other's company, the past blissfully forgotten for a time as they ate. The girl enjoyed seeing them light and happy and she, for the most part, joined in with their light-hearted banter, though much of her mind was occupied with a small worry for Snape. She wondered if he was alright, and what he was doing as she joked with Harry, Sirius, and Dumbledore.

Malfoy Manor was austere in every conceivable regard. Its looming dark stone exterior cut into the pale blue sky and darkened the surrounding foliage with its sharp gothic shadows. Even in the summer, when the sun would try and coax warmth into its dark-curtained rooms, the Manor would always resist. It remained cold and sterile despite its ornate designs and intricate craftsmanship. Severus Snape had always hated it, because although it was cold and dark, and contained many things that he sought in the environment of his dungeon office, it was without peace. It was stagnant, with a restless thrum beneath it, and frankly it reminded him too much of himself.

When Snape arrived at the iron gates of the Manor with a crisp pop, he had to fight the urge to growl a curse to incinerate the place. He swept his left forearm along the black gate lock, causing it to shudder and moan as it opened to permit him entrance. It was strange to be summoned so early in the day, and Snape had a grim sense of foreboding as he walked casually to the large double door entrance of the Manor. He already had an idea of why he had been called, he had seen Yaxley, it was impossible to miss that man, with his stringy, pale hair and his hunched, heavy steps. The man had seen Holtzer with himself and Sirius walking out of the blasted Ministry of Magic, though why he had been there was a complete mystery to Snape.

Snape reached the door, feeling uneasy as the sun merrily shone down on him as he knocked three times. Almost instantly the door opened to reveal the beautiful, but stricken face of Narcissa Malfoy, having the dark lord take up residence at your home must be tiring for the nerves, Snape reasoned to himself.

"Severus." She greeted. "Do come in." She said formally, stepping aside and allowing him in. He inclined his head, and stepped over the threshold and into the large foyer, his face impassive regardless of the splendor of the room.

Narcissa walked smoothly into the vast dining room to the left of the foyer and to the library just beyond it, Snape following. The double doors to the library had dark blue and green Tiffany glass windows, one was ajar and Narcissa walked gracefully through. Snape held his posture proudly, as he followed her inside. The room was dimly lit, dark burgundy curtains blocked the sun, and the only source of light was coming from the vast fireplace at the wall opposite the windows. The walls were lined with ancient tomes from floor to ceiling, with a thin, black iron spiral staircase leading to a ledge that lined the room about thirty feet up.

Dominating the room was a large rectangular table, lined with Voldemort's Death Eaters, and at the head of the table was the Dark Lord himself.

"Severus." The Dark Lord said softly, fluidly gesturing with his grey, spidery hand to the vacant seat to his right. "Please be seated, my friend." Snape bowed his head in subservience and sat down in the chair offered to him.

Voldemort allowed silence to fall over the dim room, before baring his teeth in a terrifying imitation of a smile.

"My devoted subjects." He began fondly, sweeping his black clad arms outward. "Word has recently reached my ears, of a most interesting development regarding The Girl. Yaxley has provide to be quite useful." Voldemort said smoothly, his voice whispering and high. Yaxley cocked his head arrogantly at The Dark Lord's praise, and puffed out his chest proudly, Snape had to fight down the need to roll his eyes. "Of course there are gaps in the information given, but I think you may be able to enlighten us, Severus." Voldemort said, turning to look at the man to his right, a curiously hungry glint in his red eyes.

"Miss Holtzer, has resurrected Sirius Black." Snape said without emotion. "For some time I have been aware of her unusual abilities, but I had to be certain of her…singularity, before informing you, My Lord." Snape said carefully. Voldemort considered Snape's words for moment, before cocked his serpentine head slowly.

"Show me." He commanded, in a dangerous whisper.

"Of course, My Lord." Snape replied emotionlessly. Even for a seasoned spy like Snape, meeting the Dark Lord's eyes, and knowing he was about to preform legillimancy, was terrifying. It was a testament to Snape's abilities that he managed to choke down the need to fight back, as any sane person would.

Voldemort did not require his wand, nor did he need to speak the incantation. One might assume that the Dark Lord would favor force when invading a mind, and Snape would adamantly refute such assumptions. It felt like a calm and docile breeze that coaxes a face to turn to it, just the slightest sensation of soft movement along the eyelids. Snape pushed the memories Voldemort wanted to the forefront of his mind.

Holtzer stood at the entrance to the veil, looking terribly small against it, but he had seen her eyes before she turned to it, and they had been full of fierce determination.

"Don't fail, Holtzer." Snape said, purposefully making himself sound disinterested. She turned to him deliberately, her face unamused, but her dark eyes glittering. She gave him a mocking two-thumbs-up gesture.

"Great advice, Snape." she replied acidly. Snape didn't allow himself a smirk, he just watched as she turned back around and steadied herself with a deep breath, before being swallowed by the smoky fabric of the Veil. Snape watched its undulating waves for a moment before sitting on the black stone steps, and checking his watch.

Snape was getting worried, she had been gone far too long. He was pacing madly, glancing at the Veil like a wild animal at the lock on his cage. What if she couldn't get back? Going in after her would be foolish, but he couldn't just leave her. What if he never saw her again? His stomach twisted at the idea. Snape would never admit it, but her company was something he liked. Her inane observations, her chatter, and when she sits in his office on her red chair and chuckles absently at the grumbles he emits while grading papers.

He didn't know what to do, so he continued pacing. Then he saw the Veil shiver out of the corner of his eye, and relief swept over him as he saw Holtzer step out, Sirius Black in tow. The relief quickly dissipated, and he felt supreme irritation at having to endure the torture of the previous hours.

He felt Voldemort shift in his mind, and felt him flick through his memories quickly. He was looking for something else, but Snape didn't know what it could be. He tried to resist, and for the most part he did, blocking true memories of Holtzer with figments. The Dark Lord couldn't tell the difference, then there was a slip. Snape felt a cold prickle of fear in his chest, and Voldemort saw her standing in the sunlight right after they had disembarked the express with Sirius. She looked a bit ragged, her dark hair wavy with frizz and escaping her ponytail to frame her cherub face. She had a pretty flush on her cheeks making her look demure and innocent. Her eyes, normally sharp and colored like a dark forest, were wide and bright as jade as they held the sun. She lunged at Snape, winding her arms around his waist, gripping him tightly. Snape was shocked, his arms held up with a look of utter bewilderment on his face as the girl clung to him fiercely, her face pressed against his chest.

"What the hell are doing, Holtzer?" Snape heard himself ask, too surprised to offer any snark. He felt her smile.

"It's called a hug, idiot." She said, but her voice was gentle. Of their own volition, his arms went carefully around her shoulders.

Voldemort retreated from Snape's mind, and once again the dim library came into focus. Snape met the Dark Lords eyes impassively, though he was more than a little shaken at what he had allowed Voldemort to see.

"Severus, Severus." Voldemort tsked softly, a smirk playing on his grey lips. "You never told me how lovely she is, nor that her hair smells of honey and juniper." The Dark Lord said mockingly, placing a long fingered hand on the table to tap it lightly. "My friends, it seems as though our own Severus, has been keeping The Girl to himself." He continued, addressing the room at large. "…and after what I've just seen, I can hardly blame him. Even the most pious of men would find their intentions becoming…less than noble." He said, causing the surrounding Death Eaters to cackle at the crude suggestion in the Dark Lord's tone.

Snape felt slightly ill, and appalled at the Dark Lords interpretation of his memory. Voldemort chuckled darkly.

"I'm only jesting, Severus." He said waving his hand imperiously. "I never, for a moment, would question your loyalty. Your judgment has proved to be most accurate through the years, and I do not doubt your motivation." He said, effectively silencing the crass laughter of his followers. "Never the less, the time has come for The Girl to be brought to me, she will, I think, prove to be very useful." Voldemort hissed softly and Nagini climbed up to nestle affectionately against his hand.

"My Lord, permit me to capture the girl for you." Bellatrix said, speaking up for the first time in a husky tone. Snape nearly recoiled at the idea of Bella being even remotely near Holtzer.

"As always Bella, your willingness to serve humbles me, but I would much prefer The Girl to come willingly. This will require a more…delicate touch." Voldemort replied softly. The woman slumped back in her chair, and pursed her full lips into a pout.

"My Lord?" Narcissa said, her voice quavering slightly.

"What is it, Cissa?" Voldemort answered in a cold voice, his hairless brow raising in annoyance.

"My Lord, I have met Miss Holtzer, she healed my son. Perhaps, I could speak with her in an attempt to discern her loyalties. She seemed quite fond of Draco, and there may be an opportunity to bring her in on his account." Narcissa said, keeping her head bowed and her voice hushed and servile. Voldemort nodded thoughtfully, running his long nails along Nagini's head.

"Very well, Cissa. I shall trust you with this, and if you should succeed, perhaps I will allow your husband to come home. If not…well, I cannot say I shall be surprised." He said smugly, offering a smirk as the room chortled at the insult to Narcissa.

"You are ever gracious, My Lord." replied Narcissa, her cheeks coloring, whether in embarrassment or hope, Snape could not tell.

"You are all dismissed." Voldemort said with a wave of his hand. Snape made to rise from his chair, but before he could he felt an ice cold papery hand on his bare forearm forbidding him to leave. Voldemort waited until his other followers had vacated the room.

"Severus, I have a favor to ask of you." The Dark Lord said in his mild, whispering voice.

"Anything, My Lord." Snape replied, emotionlessly looking into Voldemort's red eyes.

"I find myself considering how The Girl and I shall meet, I think my current visage is, perhaps, a touch frightening to a young girl." Voldemort hedged, waving his hand airily as Nagini hissed contentedly on his lap. Snape thought there was little that would truly scare Holtzer, but he kept the thought to himself as Voldemort continued.

"Thus, I will require your assistance in restoring my physicality to its former glory. The fairer sex has always been easily manipulated by a handsome face, and a deep voice, and I trust The Girl is, regrettably, no different in this regard." Voldemort said arrogantly, a smug smile twisting his features.

"Indeed, My Lord." Snape agreed, though his stomach was churning uncomfortably.

"You understand, I must be assured that she will be mine. Of course, it matters not how I acquire her, whether by force or otherwise, but I would prefer her being pliable. I do get the impression of stubbornness from her, and it certainly would be easier if she _wanted_ to belong to me." Voldemort spoke clinically, a devious smile twisting his lips occasionally.

"I think I know precisely what you require, My Lord, and it shall be ready by Halloween." Snape replied, swallowing back the bile threatening to rise in his throat.

"I knew I could rely on you, Severus." Voldemort said, in a silky whisper. "Now go, I'm sure the Order meeting that will ensue from today's events will be exceptionally entertaining." He finished, smiling indulgently at Snape. Snape recognizing his dismissal rose from the table, and walked to the library door. He opened it, and bowed at the waist before exiting the god forsaken room.

Holtzer was in trouble, and there was little Snape (or anyone) could do to help her at this point, but Snape would be damned if he didn't try.


	11. Back in Black

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who's followed, favorited, and/or reviewed. Please don't hate me for taking so long to update. As an apology this chapter is super long (over 14,000 words). Don't forget to review, I love hearing your comments.**

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 **Various Guest reviewers: Thank you so much for reading, sorry I so terrible at updating regularly.**

 **Also thanks to new followers: Ecwb, I love damon salvator, minatolover1, Ulyss, margo13331, and sushizombie123. Hope y'all are enjoying the story!**

 **We live in an imperfect world, and I suck at proofreading. Please don't hate me for my grammatical errors.**

 **Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Harry Potter.**

 **Chapter 11: Back in Black**

Mis felt wonderfully full and pleasantly drowsy. The conversation had lulled slowly until the entire room was full of a peaceful silence. Mis looked warmly at Harry and Sirius, feeling grateful that she was able to give them back to each other; that in some way she had made their lives brighter. It was strange to her in that moment how at home she felt, among these people, in this world. It made her feel simultaneously guilty and contented, guilty for leaving behind her family and her real home, and content because this place felt right to her somehow. The memory of her family was like a consent weight, a pressure, she was sure she would carry perpetually. Seeing Harry and Sirius together made her wonder what it would be like to be back with her own family, or even if she would be capable of returning to them.

"I assume Severus was called to a meeting." Dumbledore said, breaking Mis out of her reverie. Mis nodded.

"Yeah, right after we got off the train." She replied, feeling a twinge of worry for the man in question. Dumbledore nodded gravely, stroking his long white beard with his un-blackened hand in contemplation. Mis had every confidence in Snape's ability to take care of himself, at least that's what she kept telling herself. In truth, however, she was uncomfortable with him being gone, she much preferred him near so she could be assured of his safety.

Dumbledore must have recognized the anxiety in Mis' dark hazel eyes, for in the next moment he rose from his chair, and stood beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder comfortingly. The old man continued surprising her. For so long she had seen him as the great puppet master, using everyone as pawns in his vast, strategic game against Voldemort. She saw him in truth now, that he was a good man with a gentle heart, prone to sin and virtue the same as any other. She smiled at him, trying to show her gratitude for the small act of comfort he had offered her. His eyes seemed to understand the sentiment in her own as they twinkled down at her, and he smiled as well, patting her shoulder gently before pacing in front of his bookshelves.

Mis cocked her head, as an idea occurred to her.

"Ron and Hermione should be here." she said, causing Harry to look up from his pensive stare. Worrying about Snape was no help to anyone, so Mis decided to turn her attention to an issue that she could, possibly, resolve. Harry, who had long since put on his glasses, ran his fingers through his unkempt hair, which only made matters worse. His eyes were hesitant and she could see trepidation in them at the mention of his two best friends. Sirius nodded at Mis, before turning to Harry.

"Mis is right, Harry." Sirius said gently to his godson.

Harry looked like he was going through some painful internal struggle.

"How…how can I apologize to them for what I did, when I know they shouldn't forgive me? I've done too much to them…" Harry said weakly, his eyes searching the room as if he were lost. "Maybe…it would be better for them if they just stayed away from me, away from all this." He continued, motioning around the room, a deeply wounded look glazing over his vivid green eyes. Mis nodded her head in thought and pursed her lips.

"Harry… don't take this the wrong way, but you need to shut the hell up. You're throwing a pity party, and I'm _not_ attending." Mis said mildly, turning her sharp eyes to him calculatingly. "They're your friends, and they want to help you, let them…and not that anyone asked my opinion, but frankly, you need them…like _really_." Mis said emphatically. "…without them you'd be dead at least twelve times over." She continued, snorting indelicately. Sirius looked at her with a straight face, clearly unamused with her comment. "Do I lie?" she challenged.

"No, but you could've been a little gentler with the delivery." Sirius said, looking at Harry as if he were a breakable china doll.

"Should I have woven some daisy chains? Or perhaps softened the blow with a gentle rendition of _Wind Beneath My Wings_?" She asked with mock concern. "I've only got time to be real." She finished, snapping her fingers. She cocked her head to the side in thought, then slapped the table lightly with her palm.

"I'm going to find them right now." She said with a finality no one dared question. She stood from her chair, and determinedly strode from the room, checking the clock on the wall before leaving to make sure lunch was still going on in the great hall. She walked briskly to the great hall, and turned her eyes to Gryffindor table, rapidly sifting through the faces for Ron and Hermione. Her eyes brightened as she spotted a wild mass of bushy brown hair bent over a book. Ron was sitting next to her, his brow furrowed in contemplation as Hermione spoke fast, pointing to the book. Mis cleared her throat, and tightened her ponytail, though at this point she doubted that would make her appearance seem less frightening.

They were talking in hushed urgent voices when Mis approached them from behind. She coughed to announce herself, and clasped her hands behind her back. They turned abruptly, looking worriedly at her. She smiled brightly at them, trying to ease their nerves.

"Would the two of you come with me to Dumbledore's office?" She requested politely. Ron looked to Hermione, who was, in turn, looking at Mis questioningly, and with no small amount of hesitancy. Ron and Hermione looked at each other, and seemed to be having a conversation comprised entirely of glances, and meaningful eyebrow expressions. Mis smirked.

"I don't bite." she said lightly. "Well…unless provoked." she qualified. They looked a little alarmed. "That was a joke… a bad one, I'll admit." she said hurriedly, looking around the room a bit awkwardly.

"Sorry, of course, Miss Holtzer." Hermione said formally, rising from her seat and dragging Ron up as well. Mis took in their appearances for the first time then, as they stood before her and gathered their book bags. Hermione was about three inches taller than herself, with a delicate face framed by thickly curled, light brown hair that bordered on untamable, Mis thought she made it work though. Her eyes were honey colored, with a bright, intelligent spark behind them. Ron was tall and lanky, with hair a retina burning shade of red, freckles, and somewhat guarded blue eyes. She smiled at them, then began leading the way back to Dumbledore's office.

When they were out of the vast, buzzing room, and in the more docile atmosphere of the hall leading to Dumbledore's office, Hermione touched Mis on the shoulder hesitantly.

"Is Harry alright, Miss Holtzer?" She asked softly, quickly taking her hand away from Mis, as if she was worried Mis would be offended by the contact. Mis smiled at the other girl sweetly,

"Yeah, I think he'll be fine." She said nodding her head in consideration. "And please, call me Mis." she said to Hermione kindly, and turned while walking to look behind at Ron. "You too, I don't set much store by formality." She insisted.

"How do you know?" Ron asked Mis, coming up to walk in tandem with her and Hermione. "I know because I recognize that it's just a way for people to distance themselves from each other. Formality is so boring, I mean we're all humans right? We all have names…well not all of us, technically, but most of us. You know? Let's not bring prefixes and surnames into this." Mis said, rapidly. As a general rule, Mis needed only the slightest push to begin pontificating on any subject, no matter how seemingly trivial.

Ron furrowed his brow confusedly, looking at her as if she were a Martian.

"No, I mean how do you know Harry'll be alright?" Ron clarified.

"Oh." She said, mentally cursing her fondness towards frivolous expositions. Hermione coughed, clearly trying to hide a chuckle. "Sorry, the doctor says I have a terminal case of Inane Observation Syndrome, it's like Tourette's except it's marginally less aggressive." Mis apologized, smiling sheepishly at her two walking companions. "I know Harry's gonna be alright because I've done everything in my power to ensure that he will be; I've walked through hell for him." She continued, unable to stop herself from making the obvious joke. She kept her desire to smirk at bay, but couldn't fully dampen the amusement in her eyes.

Hermione looked at her suspiciously, Mis raised her eyebrows at her and couldn't hide the smirk any longer. They reached the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office, and Mis paused before offering the candy password.

"Look, I think I'm safe in assuming that the two of you are gonna be in for a shock. Just prepare yourselves, ok?" Mis said, standing in front of them with her back to the gargoyle and raising her hands up in what she hoped was a calming gesture. Ron nodded mutely, taking a big breath in. Hermione looked like she was working through some intense math problem in her head and she nodded as well.

"Pumpkin pastille." Mis said with certainty, causing the stone figure to slide into the wall, and the stone steps to begin ascending. Mis hopped on the first step, Hermione and Ron close behind her. She knocked and opened the door at the same time, peeking her head through.

Sirius, Harry, and Dumbledore were right where she had left them, but they look considerably tenser than they had ten minutes ago. She gave each person a meaningful look before, before pointedly looking at the still, mostly shut door. Dumbledore considered Sirius briefly before waving Mis inside. She looked back at Ron and Hermione, and opened the door for them to step through before closing the door behind them. Mis looked at the two frozen people up and down, then casually walked to her previous chair, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice, which incidentally, was slowly becoming her favorite beverage, and allowed herself to settle in for the show.

The room held a tense silence, and as Mis watched Ron and Hermione grapple with reality, she smirked, already thoroughly enjoying herself. Sirius rose slowly from his chair, no doubt worried any sudden movement would cause a fainting spell, or possibly a well-aimed hex.

"I know this is unbelievable…" Sirius began, stepping slowly into the no-mans-land between the table and the two shocked teenagers. ' _These people live in a universe with dragons, how unbelievable is this situation_ really _?_ ' Mis thought to herself, but didn't say anything. Ron looked as though he had just been punched in the face, with his mouth slightly open and his eyes wide. Hermione had similar expression, except she looked ready to burst into tears. The bushy haired girl took a step forward.

"Sirius?" she said quietly, as if testing the name. He didn't have time to answer before she flung herself at Sirius, and hugged him tightly. "I can't believe you're really here… how is this possible?" She asked thickly, as she pulled away and looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

Dumbledore conjured seats for them, and they sat down mutely as Sirius began the story of how Mis had brought him back through the Veil. Hermione, ever the scholar, asked several intelligent questions about the Veil that neither Mis nor Sirius could answer. Ron sat there dumbfounded, as he listened. After the story was finished, Harry stood from his chair and walked awkwardly to his two best friends. For the first time Ron seemed to understand his surroundings, and the implications of Sirius being back as he stood as well, an arm's length distance from Harry.

"I'm so sorry." Harry said, ducking his head, and Mis heard a painful hopelessness in his voice that indicated he thought any apology for what he had done to them would be met with anger and resentment. ' _Idiot_ ' Mis thought to herself, while her heart squeezed for him. There was no question in her mind, she knew they would forgive him and it pained her to see that he wasn't privy to the same awareness.

"Don't mate, we get it." Ron said simply, shrugging his shoulders. Harry looked up with his eyes disbelieving, and shook his head slowly as if wondering how such people as his friends could exist.

"Oh, Harry." Hermione said, shaking her head softly and rising from her chair. She walked to him and gave him a tight hug. After a moment, she broke it, sniffling loudly and patting his hair down maternally with her hand lingering on his face, before moving away and allowing Ron to give Harry a brief hug as well.

Mis blinked away the tears that formed in her eyes; she was so stupidly happy she felt like she might just start singing. She looked over at Dumbledore to find his twinkling blue eyes already upon her, and considering her with a great deal of gratitude. She smiled at him, small but genuine and, instead of smiling back, he dipped his head respectfully.

"Mis." Sirius beaconed, with his hand outstretched. She smirked at him and stood up from her chair, he placed a hand on her back and guided her towards the golden trio.

Hermione gave her a watery smile, and with very deliberate motions, as if attempting not to startle, wrapped her arms around Mis. She got over the shock quickly, and returned the hug. Though Mis got a face-full of bushy hair, and she felt as though the very life was being squeezed out of her, she thought being hugged by Hermione Granger was something she could now cross off her bucket list.

"Thank you." Hermione said quietly, pulling away but still gripping her shoulders tightly.

"It was my pleasure, I mean, going to the underworld? I've never been so metal." Mis said waving her hand dismissively. Hermione took a step back, crossing her arms and laughing lightly at Mis's comment.

"Metal?" Ron asked, cocking his head to one side curiously.

"She's referring to a genre of muggle music characterized by amplified distortion, guitar solos that last half a lifetime, and a general ear destroying insanity… I was particularly fond of it in when I was younger." Sirius stated casually. "You know Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, AC/DC…" Sirius continued, waving his hand as he listed off each band name. Mis stepped back, and held her hand up in front of her.

"Whoa, whoa, slow your roll, Lassie, everyone knows AC/DC is hard rock, not metal." Mis said, snorting and giving Sirius a look of pity.

"Ah, the misguided certainty of youth." Sirius said, shaking his head mournfully. "They toe the line between hard rock and metal, but they have a metal soul. I wouldn't expect a sweet little girl, like yourself, to understand such things." He added, patting the top of her head condescendingly. Mis swatted at his hand irritably.

" _Sweet little girl_?!" she exclaimed, with her dark hazel eyes flashing. "This _sweet little girl_ rescued your furry butt from a goddamn soul disintegration." She replied tartly, pointing a threatening finger at him.

"For which I am indebted, however, that doesn't make you any less ignorant on this matter." Sirius stated calmly, not looking at her. Mis dropped her hand and rolled her eyes.

"Wizards." Mis mumbled under her breath as if it were a curse word.

A short time later, Hermione excused herself to the library dragging Ron and Harry with her, claiming she had an Arithmancy project due, as well as an essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ron groaned loudly, and tried to convince her both things could wait, but the studious girl would not be swayed.

"You have magic homework… _magic homework._ I hope you thank whatever gods you may have, that you don't have biology homework." Mis said to Ron, in defense of Hermione's attitude. "You have to write essays about freaking unicorns, I have to write essays about eutrophication." She continued, shaking her head at the lanky boy.

"I've been trying to explain this to them for five years, Mis, but I appreciate your attempt." Hermione said, with a longsuffering sigh. Ron rolled his eyes

"Bloody hell, there's two of them." Ron mumbled to Harry, causing Mis and Hermione to shoot identical glares his way.

With the three friends gone, Mis, Sirius and Dumbledore began to hash out the details of the Order meeting that would take place later that evening. Due to Mis' inability to travel long distances instantly, they agreed that it would be held in the Room of Requirement the same as it had last time. Sirius proposed several different, but equally ridiculous ideas of how he planned to reveal himself to the Order, one of which, involved a fog charm and several white doves. Mis was all for it, and suggested that 'O Fortuna' would be an appropriate musical accompaniment, but Albus "killjoy" Dumbledore insisted on being the voice of reason by stating that Sirius being back from the dead was sensational enough without any added theatrics, plus, he reasoned that someone fainting was already an issue that needn't be exacerbated. Begrudgingly, Mis and Sirius ceased their brilliant plans, and instead settled on the more reasonable alternative of Sirius simply walking into the room with Mis, and then allowing things to happen organically.

Mis was sitting in one of Dumbledore's overstuffed maroon chairs near the large window with her legs swung over an armrest, clutching a steaming cup of coffee in her hands, and glancing somewhat anxiously at the ornate brass clock on the headmaster's desk. She had long since bowed out of the conversation and instead busied herself with worry for Snape, while simultaneously wondering whether she would ever be able to take a shower and change out of her hell clothes. Of course Dumbledore had tried to convince her to get some rest and take a shower, but she had waived him off; she was going to wait for Snape, and there was little anyone could do to stop her. It was around 4:30, Snape had been gone for almost five hours, and it seemed as every minute passed in his absence, something like a knot wound a little bit tighter in her chest.

The door to Dumbledore's study flew open, and then slammed closed. Mis yelped, as she jolted and spilled a bit of hot coffee on her stomach. Sirius, who was sitting across from Dumbledore, was up in a blur, and pointing his wand at the intruder before Mis could even register who it was.

"Lower your wand, you imbecilic mutt, I haven't the patience to play nice right now."

Mis had never been more relieved to hear such a sneering voice.

"Snape!" She cried, scrambling off the chair, and placing her mug of coffee on the floor, before rushing over to Snape with a bright smile on her face. She collided with him, and crushed herself to his chest, breathing in the scent of lemongrass that clung to his billowing black robes.

"Should I expect this to become a regular occurrence, Holtzer?" He asked, and though his voice sounded somewhat annoyed, he hugged her back tightly.

"Yes, and I suggest you resign yourself to it." She said, pulling away and looking up at him with a smirk in her glittering eyes. His mouth twitched, and she could see a softness in his coal eyes before they were overtaken with a troubled intensity.

"Holtzer, the Dark Lord…He knows about you resurrecting Black, and he has set plans in motion with the intention of obtaining you." Snape stated, in a voice that to most observers would seem indifferent, but Mis was in tune with the sneering man enough to catch the strain in his voice.

"What do you mean, Severus? Does he intend to take her?" Dumbledore asked gravely, rising fluidly from his chair and pacing over to where Mis and Snape stood.

"Not initially, he wants to recruit her, he considers her to be a valuable asset, one that he desperately wants on his side." Snape replied, his body stiff and ridged beneath the headmaster's piercing eyes.

"Narcissa Malfoy has volunteered to approach her, possibly using Draco as some kind of bait. The Dark Lord suggested he may return her husband if she is successful." He finished coldly, apparently, he didn't think much of the witch at present. Mis felt a white hot blaze flare within her, and she smiled triumphantly.

"This is perfect!" she said excitedly, clapping her hands together and nearly bouncing in place. "We can bring the Malfoy's over to our side." Mis said looking between Dumbledore and Snape with wide eyes that crackled like a wildfire. "They defer to our side at the end of the war, maybe if I can convince Narcissa that we can protect her and her family, I can accelerate the process of them choosing us." Mis said rapidly, her hands jerkily waving in front of her. Mis started pacing briskly away from the three men, with her hand in her hair. "I can speak with Narcissa and we all can figure out a way to get them the hell outta dodge. I'll go undercover or something, so I protect Narcissa and Draco…maybe even Lucius, I mean he _is_ pureblood dickweed, but there has to still hope for him, plus it would be nothing short of a tragedy to allow such a damn fine head of hair to go to waste." Mis babbled in a frenzy.

Snape and Sirius simultaneously shouted in protest before Mis could continue, causing her to turn around and stare at the two men standing on either side of Dumbledore.

"This is absolutely out of the question; I forbid it, Holtzer." Snape said fiercely, shaking his head and cutting through the air with a straight hand.

"For once in your life, Snape, you're speaking sense." Sirius concurred, "There is no way in bonny hell that you're going to risk your life for the goddamned Malfoy's, or ever be in the same bleeding room as You-Know-Who." Sirius said decisively. Mis looked into Sirius's stone grey eyes, then at Snape's coal black ones, and was touched and somewhat irritated to find a rigid protectiveness simmering in their depths.

"Just hear me out…" She started, her tone calm and diplomatic, raising her hands out before her passively. Both men looked like they desperately wanted to argue, but Mis silenced them with a stern look. "Think of the possibilities if I can pull this off, we can have three more sets of eyes on the inside, three more wands to fight for us, and three more people saved from that snake faced maniac, and his Napoleonic nose complex." She said emphatically, with her hands in fists in front of her. "Not to mention the pull that the Malfoy family possesses, aren't they the closest thing to wizarding royalty you've got? It could be a long shot, but maybe others would follow after them." She added hopefully, her voice impassioned and her arms open as if she were trying to rally the troops.

"I'm not having this discussion, Holtzer. This is madness." Snape said firmly, crossing his arms with his mouth set in a grim line.

"No Snape." Mis said very calmly, "This is Sparta." she finished seriously, pointing to herself. Snape looked like he wanted to strangle her. With a slightly shaking hand, he pinched the bridge of his nose and bowed his head.

"You need to be committed." Snape growled, shaking his still bowed head.

"This is pretty sudden Snape, can I see the ring?" Mis replied, her eyes glinting in amusement. Sirius snorted, and Dumbledore gave a light chuckle. Snape looked up at her with a murderous glare. Mis smirked.

"Ok, you walked _right_ into that last one, so don't blame me." She said, holding her hands up in surrender.

"Mis, there is simply no way we're going to allow you to do this. It's too dangerous." Sirius said gently, his eyes all but pleading her to see reason.

"Perhaps we should consider the possibilities Miss Holtzer is speaking of." Dumbledore said, calmly giving Mis a grave look. The room felt like an open field with a stormy sky above it charging for a lightning strike as the two men slowly turned away from Mis to face the headmaster with appalled looks on their faces. Almost as if they had choreographed it, they rounded on Dumbledore and shouted in objection to his apparent support of Mis' idea in perfect sync, drowning our each other's voices to the point where Mis couldn't understand a damn thing that was being said. She did, however, understand the sentiment clearly; they were magnificently pissed off. The old man looked as though he had expected such a response, the expression on his face indicating his strategy was just to let the two men tire themselves out.

"You guys." Mis said in a slightly raised, but still calm voice. They completely ignored her, and continued ranting over each other at Dumbledore.

"Hey fellas." She said a little louder to no effect. Mis was somewhat amused to see the old man look quite at ease with the whole situation, in fact, to her Dumbledore looked as though he was simply being told a list of restaurant specials by two rather aggressive waiters. The thought made her chuckle to herself privately, of Dumbledore sitting in a fancy restaurant with white table cloths, crystal glasses, and ambient lighting, being shouted at about smoked salmon and chicken kiev by two very competitive servers.

She allowed herself another chuckle at the visual her mind had conjured before schooling her features into a stern mask. She swaggered over to the shouting men, Dumbledore watching her curiously. Mis had temper that could rival any Gryffindor, but where they met force with force, she preferred to meet an enemy with distractions that either confuses or shocks said enemy. Currently, Snape and Sirius were the enemy, and Mis had a plan to get them to be quiet, at least long enough to say her piece, and inject a little logic into the situation.

Mis came up behind the two men, calmly considering them before smacking each of them smartly on the ass. Sirius yelped mid-tirade, and Snape jumped about twelve feet in the air.

"Bloody fuck!" Snape exclaimed. Both men jerked around to look at the girl, who was holding herself up to her full 5 foot 2, managing to look both pleased with herself, and innocent at the same time. Sirius held his arms up slightly at his side, his face mutely questioning her. If Snape had looked like he was contemplating strangling her before, he now looked as though he were considering decapitation and possibly thinking about burial sites and alibis.

"Now that I have your attention, gentlemen, allow me to tell you what's going to happen." Mis said lightly, giving them a bland politician smile. "We are going to talk about this at the Order meeting later tonight, we will present our various arguments, and it will be put to a vote." She said, in a voice that brooked no argument. She received no reply, as the two men were still busy glaring daggers at her.

"Why, that's a brilliant idea, Mis." Mis said, in a poor impression of Sirius's baritone. "I concur, Black, simply…magnificent." She continued in a rather better impression of Snape's halting, disdainful voice. "Why thank you both, I do pride myself on my ability to think outside the box." She said humbly in her normal voice, her eyes twinkling with mirth as she gave them both a bright smile.

"Glad we all agree." She said brightly, before she glanced at the muggle clock high on Dumbledore's wall. "Now, I'm going to take a well-deserved shower and god willing…" she held her hand up reverently, "a nap." She finished, daring them to oppose her.

"Ah, yes. Please do, my dear. We shall fetch you when the meeting begins." Dumbledore said kindly, his face clearly amused. Mis said bye to the two men, but they didn't answer her, as they were too busy pouting over Mis' actions to silence them. She smirked to herself, and without any further words she retrieved her backpack, left Dumbledore's office, and went to her room.

Mis was sprawled on her stomach, her arms and legs twisted and her dark hair practically suffocating her in her sleep. Her intentions had been good when she walked into her room, she had intended to take a shower, and then take a 30 minute nap, but the idea had been thrown out the window the moment she saw her bed. Its clean linens and fluffy green comforter had been a temptation too great for her to resist. After placing her gold pin in the trick pocket of her backpack for safe keeping, she kicked off her shoes, dropped her backpack, and flung her clothes off, leaving a haphazard trail of dirty laundry in her wake. She didn't bother with pajamas, and just climbed into bed in her underwear, relishing the feel of the cold, clean sheets against her skin. The trashy paperbacks that she had dumped from her backpack many hours ago, had still been strewn on the bed, and she threw them on the floor as if they had morally offended her just by being on it.

Her head shot up at the sound of a knock at her door, a second knock made her roll over and rub her eyes. The room was mostly dark except for the deep gold light of the setting sun peeking through the heavy curtains. A third, more impatient knock, made her stumble out of bed. She tripped ungracefully to the door, bleary eyed but at least feeling well rested. She cracked the door open and stuck her head through, hiding her unclothed body behind it, her eyes half closed. Sirius was standing as close to the door as possible, trying to blend into it, and casting darting glances up and down the hall.

"What the hell are you doing here?!" Mis whispered urgently, her eyes going wide. "You can't go wandering around the castle, someone could see you, and say to themselves 'Oh fuck, looks like Sirius Black _isn_ _'t_ dead, I should probably tell someone.'" She said with a deadpan voice, looking at the reckless marauder with disapproval.

"Well, in order to avoid anyone seeing me, you should probably let me in." Sirius said with a charming smile.

"I'm not dressed." She squeaked primly, holding the door firmly as he tried to walk in.

"Nothing I haven't seen before, love." he said cheekily, shooting her a wink. Mis gave him a level look.

"No, I've flashed too many people in the past couple days, at the rate I'm going the entirety of Great Britain is going catch a peek of the goods." She said crossly, remembering the fiasco with the black combat-training shirt from hell.

"Someone's coming." Sirius said urgently, pushing on the door again. She heaved a sigh.

"Cover your eyes, or I'll gouge them out." She warned, opening the door and allowing him to walk in. He had one hand covering his eyes, and the other stretched out before him like a newly risen mummy.

Mis smiled despite herself as she closed the door.

"I've come to collect you, my lady." He said, turning to her with his eyes still covered and offering a bow so deep, that it nearly caused him to lose his balance.

"Where's Snape? He's the one who usually comes and gets me." She asked curiously, furrowing her brows. He clutched his heart dramatically.

"Why must you toy with me, my darling? Is my presence so unbearable, to you?" He said, in a theatric baritone, over annunciating as if he were some vaudevillian actor.

Mis snorted.

"Are you…" She started to say, before catching herself. She had intended to say 'Are you serious?' before realizing that would probably just add fuel to his comedic flame.

"When's the meeting supposed to start?" she asked, trying to avoid bringing attention to her slip up.

"Twenty minutes." He replied lightly.

"Ok good, I'm gonna take a shower." Mis replied.

"It's been 5 hours, how have you not taken one yet? We'll be late." Sirius asked, his tone affronted.

"I couldn't resist the siren call of my bed, and who cares if we're a bit late; they can't very well start the damn thing without us." She said casually, blindly picking through her dresser for clothes before padding her bare feet into the bathroom and shutting the door.

The bright frosted glass lights struggled to life on the ceiling, and Mis practically jumped as she saw her reflection in the antique silver mirror. Her dark hair was wavy and feral looking, and the current texture was similar to a brillow pad. Her pale, heart shaped face was darkened with a layer of dirt and grime, and her smirking lips look red and swollen from windburn. She took inventory of the rest of her body, noticing several bruises blossoming like violets over her ribs, shoulders, and upper arms. Her muscles were tender, but she felt proud of the marks on her body, it meant she had worked and fought hard, even though her only enemy had been Remus.

She switched on the silver faucet and stepped under the shower-head, pulling the curtain along the edge of the tub as the warm water fell over her skin. There was something about taking a shower after visiting the underworld that was so immeasurably satisfying. She let her peach scented soap clean off the underworld smell (that was reminiscent of ash and bone), and thought that the clothes she had worn there were a lost cause, and the only thing that could possibly cleanse them would be to throw them into an incinerator.

She hummed absently has she washed her hair, smiling to herself softly. Sirius was back, and Harry was going to be ok, and she felt as though the world, at least for now, was a place of joy and sweet, sweet justice. She could already tell that she and Sirius would be good friends, he was charming, stubborn, and just immature enough for Mis to find him hilarious. He seemed to be comfortable around her already, and she felt the same way about him. She figured that familiarity was born of their mutual knowledge of each other before their meeting.

She had been touched by his protectiveness in Dumbledore's office, almost more than Snape's. Not that she didn't appreciate Snape's protectiveness, she did, but it hadn't surprised her. She knew Snape cared for her, it wasn't a question in her mind. She knew it by the way he wordlessly passed her the copper pot of coffee every morning before she asked, and the way he would almost smile at her, and the way he placed his coat over her so she could sleep on a drafty train. 'It's the little things'.

Feeling wonderfully clean and smelling of ripe peaches, she turned off the water and began to dry herself off with a fluffy silver towel. Still humming contentedly, she put on her mismatched underwear, a violently red, short-sleeved v-neck that showed off several of her well-earned bruises, and a pair of faded jeans. She re-entered the bedroom with her head titled as she dried her hair, but straighten up as she saw Sirius. He was reclining on her bed, with his legs crossed and feet bare, reading one of the harlequin romances she had thrown to the floor before her nap.

"What is the appeal of this?" He asked confusedly, his eyes narrow on the book as if it contained a puzzle he was trying to solve. "There's a whole page devoted to Clara getting dressed, just to meet her bloody spinster aunt for afternoon tea." He said, shaking his head and turning the page. "And what in Merlin's name is muslin?" he asked looking up at her almost accusatorially. Mis smiled to herself, as she draped the towel over her arm and walked over to him. She snatched the book away, flipped to one of the sex scenes, and handed it back to him wordlessly. He looked at her suspiciously before turning his attention back to the book to begin reading again. Mis smirked, as his brows receded into his hairline, and he started looking at the book with a considerable amount of respect that hadn't previously been present. With the smirk still glued to her lips, she sashayed over to her dresser, fetched her comb, and casually began taming the wet tangles of her hair. She heard Sirius clear his throat awkwardly.

"That's why." she said, thrusting the comb in the book's direction. "Well that…and I'm a sucker for men that can be described as rakes, cads, or rouges." She continued, nodding her head dreamily. "…and muslin is like linin but lighter." she added briskly, as an afterthought.

Mis and Sirius left the room after a disagreement about whether or not he should dissolution himself. He was opposed, saying he was sure no one would see them, causing Mis call him a "reckless manchild" who she knew didn't possess the gift of foresight. He had merely chuckled at her, and pulled out a yellow scrap of parchment that she recognized as the marauders map. She had acquiesced, on the condition that she would be the one watching it to make sure they didn't run into anyone. He handed it to her, and she had checked to see that the coast was clear before exiting the room with Sirius.

"The map never lies, huh?" she said to Sirius, as they started walking down the torch-lit hall. "I'm not on it." she said, pointing to the space next to the script with Sirius Black written above two black footprints.

"Well you _are_ the exception, love." He replied with a shrug after looking at it. Mis was a tiny bit disappointed not to see her name floating on the parchment, but brushed it off quickly as it was a stupid thing she really didn't have the time to feel sorry about.

Sirius led her down deserted corridors, and up twisting stairs that she had never discovered. There were no paintings on the walls, and the halls they went down had a distinctly neglected feeling about them, as if Filch hadn't dusted (or whatever the hell he did) in years. They were peaceful, however, and Mis liked the quiet.

"Who did you flash?" Sirius asked suddenly, looking at her out of the corner of his eye and holding back a smile. Mis let out a breath of resignation.

"Remus, Mad-eye, and Snape." She replied emotionlessly, not looking up from the map.

"Why?" he asked with a voice strained with contained laughter. Mis pursed her lips and shook her head.

"Must've been for the sexual thrill." she deadpanned, still not taking her eyes from the parchment.

"Really? And how did that progress?" Sirius questioned, and Mis could hear him smirking. She looked up at him, and she could see something like a challenge in his eyes. 'Who can take this farther', the look said, and Mis was game.

Her eyes lit up with mischief.

"It ended up being a four-way." She said casually. "But it didn't _really_ get kinky until Mad-eye popped of his peg leg, and Remus started howling _Pour Some Sugar on Me_ …" She said in a husky, overly seductive voice, while she ran her hands up and down her neck as if she were in ecstasy at the mere memory.

"Remus howled what?!" Sirius demanded, stopping short and grabbing her by the shoulders urgently. Mis didn't have time to process confusion as Sirius fell to his knees, gripping her waist with his head bowed. His shoulder shook and a guttural sob escaped his lips, before he spread his arms as if to curse the gods.

"That bastard! That was _our_ song." He exclaimed to the heavens with a cracking voice. He mimed a knife stabbing into his heart, while sobbing theatrically. Mis bit her lip in an attempt to stifle the smile that threatened to break free, as she watched his ugly-cry face. "I gave him _everything_." He choked out between great, gulping sobs, as he brought his fist down on the stone floor.

Mis shook her head failing to hold back a smile, she knew in her heart that she could not rival Sirius's commitment to a joke. She folded her arms as Sirius stood up, abruptly breaking character, and brushing himself off. He placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly, like a mentor to a protégé.

" _That_ _'s_ how it's done, love." Sirius said wisely, not breaking eye contact. Mis licked her finger and marked the air to her left, as if there were an invisible chalkboard. 'Point Sirius.'

As they neared the door to the room of requirement, Mis felt a bubbling happiness swell in her chest and she couldn't help but smile brightly. Before opening the door, she turned to Sirius, who had a similar bright look on his face.

"Hang back a minute, I'll give you an intro." She said, smirking at him with twinkling dark hazel eyes.

"Make it good." He warned lightly, shooting her a smile. She gave him a wink, before opening the door halfway and squeezed through it. The entire Order was there, and they were in a circle around Dumbledore, Harry, Ron and Hermione, their voices buzzing with urgent questions. The room was the exact same as it had been at the first Order meeting, the only difference being an extra chair at the long rectangular table. Snape was already sitting at it alone, looking scornful and irritated as ever. Mis caught his eye briefly, and she shot him a smile that caused his lip to twitch.

"Albus, will you just tell us what's going on please?" Remus asked, his voice cutting through the murmurings forcefully.

"We've been waiting for long enough, and where in the bloody hell is Holtzer?" Mad-eye growled, apparently in a rotten mood.

"Now, now Peggy, there's no need to get testy." Mis reprimanded him, with a smirk. "I'm right here." She said, holding her arms out, standing in front of the door.

"Miss Holtzer." Dumbledore breathed, relief evident in his tone. She smiled as the old man parted the people in from of him and walked over to Mis, his arms open in greeting.

"We were beginning to worry." He stated, with twinkling blue eyes. He placed a hand on her shoulder blade, and guided her over to the group of people. Mis smiled at the Golden trio and Remus, shooting the latter a cheeky wink. They had all fallen silent as she approached, and Mis could feel the tension like a dense fog in the room as they watched her confidently walk towards them.

"I'm not going to sugar coat this." She started somberly, looking into each and every face. "This is very _serious_ matter." She continued, trying her damndest not to smirk as she saw amusement in Harry, Ron and Hermione's faces. "I've been through hell these past twenty-four hours, and frankly I'm dog tired." She said, nodding her head thoughtfully, trying to draw out the suspense. "It's been ruff, but there's good news, and like AC/DC once said we're _back in black_." She said, giving her best rendition of Brian Johnson's high pitched, wailing voice at the end.

They looked at her as if she had grown a second head, while she maintained a look a mild interest.

"Good god, Holtzer, would you stop mucking about?" He asked impatiently in a raised voice so she would be sure to hear him from where he sat at the far end of the room. Mis smirked,

"LASSIE!" She bellowed, causing several of the order members to jump or flinch. The door flew open with bang, and Sirius strode through. Strutting over to Mis' side, he waved his hand to wordlessly close the door.

"That was good, I nearly _died_ laughing at the AC/DC reference; clever. I had hoped you would somehow work "padfoot" into my opener though." He said, casually with a shrug of his shoulders.

"I tried to think of some way to get that in, but it probably would've sounded forced." She replied nodding.

"Still, it was pretty good for being off the cuff." He acknowledged, smirking down at her.

At the same moment they both turned to the look at the group before them. Mis thought that the word shock was too small to describe the looks on their faces. The faces of Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonagall were drained of color, and looked a little unsteady to Mis. Fred, George, Bill and Mr. Weasley had mouths like fly traps. Mad-eye and Kingsley, though considerably less obvious than the rest still had looks of wonder on their faces. Tonks looked as though she were about to burst into tears. The dead air was getting to Mis, but she figured that a human brain could only process so much at one time, so she allowed them time to absorb this new information. Remus stepped forward, his light amber eyes staring at Sirius intensely and his mouth set in a thin line.

Sirius smiled at his old friend, and help up his arms requesting a hug.

"How've you been Moony?" Sirius asked softly. Mis saw Remus's eyes flash at the mention of his nickname and, faster than she would've thought possible, he swung at Sirius. Remus threw his whole body behind the punch, and Mis heard a loud crunch as his fist collided with Sirius's nose, eliciting a painful grunt from the dark haired marauder. The whole room gasped in tandem as Sirius doubled over, and blood started trickling down his face. "What the fuck was that, you lycan lunatic?" Sirius said indignantly, straightening up and gently touching his definitely fractured nose.

"You absolute fucking, idiot!" Remus shouted so loudly, Mis' ears rang and her eyes went wide. "Why didn't you bloody listen to me? I told you to stay put, but no… Sirius goddamn Black had to be at the front lines. He was so hell bent on proving he wasn't a coward that he didn't stop to consider what it would do to his godson or his best friend…if something were to happen to him." Remus yelled, his voice cracking as his eyes welled up with angry tears, and his body in a tense, threatening stance. Sirius tucked his neck into his shoulders as Remus bellowed at him. His stone grey eyes meeting the amber ones of his friend worriedly.

"You're right, Remus, and god…I'm so sorry." He said, his voice imploring as he took a very cautious step towards Remus, his bleeding nose making his voice a little muffled. Remus looked away from him, his jaw set and his eyes hard. The room fell into a dense silence once again, as Mis looked between Remus and Sirius.

Mis knew she was a meddler, she couldn't help inserting herself into people's business, for better or worse. For as long as she could remember she had been meddling in other people's arguments, her friends, her brother and sister, even her mom and dad. She had always been the peacemaker, the referee; the one who insisted that the warring parties get over their respective furies by talking it out. She didn't do it because she thought anger was useless, or everyone should always be happy and ready to frolic in the meadows. She did it because she knew time was precious, and she knew that the foundation of regret is wasted time.

So although she knew it really wasn't her place to insinuate herself into Remus and Sirius's spat, she did.

"I think that we all should just…" Mis started, with a clear, confident tone. She halted her sentence as she saw Remus lunged at Sirius again, it took her a moment to realize his intent was not to harm. Remus gripped Sirius fiercely, and Sirius hugged back with his hand on back of Remus's head. Mis let out a deep breath, as did the entire room.

After that, the entire Order converged on Sirius, some more hesitant than others, but it was overall an exceedingly warm welcome and, after Remus preformed a healing charm on Sirius' nose, he was passed around for hugs and handshakes. Mis quietly walked over to Snape and sat down next to him. She looked over at him, he was staring straight ahead, his eyes blank and far away.

"You should get back over there, they'll want to thank you." Snape said absently, not looking at her.

"They'll want to thank you too." Mis replied with a small smile. "All I did was walk through an archway; you're the one who got me there, the one who planned, the one who made sure I had what I needed." She said sincerely, her dark eyes warmly watching his profile.

"Do shut up, Holtzer." Snape scorned halfheartedly, finally looking back into her eyes with his black ones.

"Oh…I'd like to see ya try and make me." She said with a smirk. Snape shook his head in resignation and turned away. He seemed troubled, his trademark sneer was nowhere to be seen, and in its place was a vacant look that didn't sit well with Mis. She cocked her head to the side, and leaned her head over to try and catch his eye.

"What's the matter?" She asked with a concerned tone, and furrowed brows.

"You don't understand, Holtzer. He's after you, and you don't understand what that means." He said disdainfully, with his eyes fixed ahead of him. Mis knew who he was talking about instantly.

"It means that I'll have to start writing down a list of puns involving noses, snakes, and the name Tom Riddle…you know for when I meet him." She said flippantly. "I've already got a few, tell me, do you think the phrase 'Riddle me this' should be used at all? Or is that low hanging fruit?" She asked him thoughtfully, as if she were making a difficult decision and needed an outsiders input.

"You're stubborn to the point where it should be considered a mental illness." He deadpanned, turning to look at her with an unamused expression. Mis raised an eyebrow at him.

"Uh…Pot." she said pointing to him "Meet kettle." she finished pointing to herself. "Notice how we're both black." she said, waving her hand in-between the two of them.

"Idiot." He muttered, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms.

"Jackass." She mumbled back with a smirk.

Mis observed the group of people, and felt warm and contented to see their happy faces, and tearful welcomes.

"Mis?" beaconed Sirius, looking around the room before spotting her at the table with Snape. She smiled at him, as he enthusiastically waved her over.

"You're public awaits." Snape said wryly.

"You mean _our_ public." She corrected him as she stood up, dragging him up as well. She had a death grip on his sleeved forearm.

"Let. Go. Of me." Snape said through gritted teeth.

"No, it won't kill you to go over and let them thank you." She said totally ignoring his death glare. She gripped his arm tighter, as he tried to subtly shake her off.

With pinched lips and eyes alight with violent thoughts, Snape allowed Mis to lead him over to the group. The Order turned to look at her, and Snape jerked his arm out of her hand like a petulant child, Mis merely smirked.

"You went to the underworld?" Fred (or George, Mis couldn't tell which) asked in wonder.

"What was it like?" the other twin asked, equally as enthralled.

"You know, it wasn't has bad as you'd think." She said nodding, after a moment of consideration. "I mean…I'm gonna do my best to avoid it." She qualified, "But it could've been a lot worse." She finished shrugging her shoulders. "Anyway, I couldn't have been able to do it without Snape. He's just as responsible as I am for Sirius's return." She said, smirking up at him because she knew she had just thrown him under the proverbial bus. Snape narrowed his eyes at her minutely; if looks could kill, Mis would be dead ten times over from all the venom in Snape's eyes.

All eyes turned to the tall, thin man in his billowing black robes. Mis briefly thought to herself that she would cause these people to grey prematurely for all the surprises Mis seemed to be bringing into their lives. Harry, surprisingly, broke away from Sirius's side and stood in front of Mis and Snape awkwardly. He seemed to steal himself before extending a hand to the potions master, who looked down at it as if it were some kind a foul slug.

"Thanks, Professor." Harry said, unable to keep his dislike of Snape entirely out of his voice. Snape looked like he desperately wanted to make a snide remark, Mis could practically see it forming behind his eyes. Mis slapped Snape's shoulder lightly with the back of her hand, and looked pointedly at him. The look he gave her back said _I'_ _m not shaking Potter_ _'s hand._ Mis slide her jaw and her eyes turned fiery.

 _Stop being an ass, and just do it_.

 _Not if your life depended on it._

 _If you don_ _'_ _t, I_ _'_ _ll make you pay for it._

Their mental conversation lasted all of three seconds but, in the end, Snape seemed to recognize that Mis wouldn't back down, and Mis hoped that perhaps Snape was developing a healthy fear of her wrath and retribution. Begrudgingly, he shook Harry's hand slowly and without looking at him. Mis beamed at the two of them, it had taken several threatening looks but dammit, they were practically getting along.

"I didn't do it for you, Potter." Snape spat disdainfully, retracting his hand abruptly. Mis grimaced.

"Really?" she said to Snape in exasperation, throwing her arms up. "Do you have, like, a quota of jerk-face comments that you have to make on any given day?" She asked in annoyance, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't know, do you have a quota for how many miserable positions you can put me in on any given day?" He replied mockingly.

Mis tried to look cross, but anyone who looked at her could tell she was fighting back a smile. Snape, for all his brilliance as a wizard and spy, could rival a five year old with his pettiness, and Mis thought that was goddamn hilarious. Harry looked angry at Snape's harsh words, she snorted. ' _Everyone_ _'_ _s so damn touchy around here_.' She thought to herself, before turning to Harry, mischief making her eyes bright.

"Ignore that, he's just pissed that I know the _real_ reason there's so much animosity between him and Siri-" Mis didn't get to finish her sentence, as a cool hand suddenly clamped over her mouth, while another held the base of her neck in place. She looked up mildly at Snape, his eyes ablaze with hellfire as he stared down at her deceptively innocent face. She smirked against his hand.

"Shut. Up." He said dangerously. Mis raised her eyebrows as if she were completely guiltless. She held up her hands in surrender, and Snape released her mouth. Harry looked confused by the exchange, he narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Snape. Mis snorted.

"I'm only kidding." She said, glancing at Snape.

"Yes, we must thank both Severus and Miss Holtzer for their daring rescue of our own Sirius Black." Dumbledore said, grandly opening his arms to the room. "Celebrations are in order, I think." He said with twinkling blue eyes. There was a yell of approval by the group at large, and Mis saw that the long table to her right had been suddenly laid with butterbeer, firewhisky, pumpkin juice and several other drinks in bottles she didn't recognize. Everyone moved to the table, talking animatedly to each other and pouring drinks, leaving her and Snape standing slightly apart from the rest.

Mis looked over to Snape, who looked like he had just entered the ninth circle of hell. She nudged her side to his gently, and gave him a small smile. His eyes warmed at her, and his lip twitched.

"See? That wasn't so bad." Mis said bracingly. Snape rolled his black eyes.

"I had to shake Potter's hand, Holtzer… _his_ _hand_ , I had to touch it." He said as if he was deeply traumatized, shivering for dramatic effect. Mis smiled crookedly, and shook her head in wry amusement.

"Somehow, I think you'll survive this horrific experience and be a stronger wizard for it." she said sarcastically.

"Oh, Holtzer, that's not even the worst. Albus is about to give a toast, and I'm fairly certain it will take longer than the mission itself did." Snape said crossly, staring at the old man across the room, who was speaking with Remus and Kingsley. Mis was about to comment back in agreement to Snape's prediction, when she saw Sirius walking over to her.

"Can I get you a drink, Mis?" Sirius asked kindly, coming to place a hand between her shoulder blades.

"Sure thanks, pumpkin juice is good for me." she said smiling. Sirius scoffed.

"You need something with more bite than that." He insisted, smirking at her. Her lips fell into a smirk as well.

"I'm a crazy drunk, Lassie, and it isn't pretty. The first time I went to a house party, I punched two people, kissed five, and apparently I sang the entire Grease soundtrack…Not that I remember that particular part." She said with a grimace, remembering one of the few times she had been forced to be social by several friends at school.

"All the more reason." He said, laughing lightly. Mis smiled.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you." She said, shaking her head in resignation. Sirius turned to Snape.

"Can I get you anything, Snape?" Sirius asked, sounding forced, as though the question were being pulled from him against his will.

"No, Black…Thank you." Snape replied, and Mis nearly started laughing at how much animosity he had in his tone. Sirius gave a curt nod, and walked over to the table to fetch her drink.

"Grease?" Snape asked derisively, one eyebrow raised and his lip curled in ever so slight amusement as he looked down at her.

"Well, it _is_ the word." She said with dignity, crossing her arms.

"I'm well aware of that fact…but still, good god, Holtzer." He said with his tone a mixture of amusement and scorn.

"Wait…" Mis said, holding her finger up. "You know Grease?" She asked, with raise eyebrows.

"Why are you always so bloody shocked that I know things? It's rather insulting, Holtzer." Snape replied, but there was no heat in the statement.

"Sorry, it was just never mentioned that Severus Snape was such a show-tune connoisseur, it's still takes me by surprise is all." She said, her eyes mirthful.

"Recognizing one of the most successful musicals of the twentieth century, does not make me a show-tune connoisseur." He said defensively.

"Oh, sure. Of course. Only natural." She said with subtle sarcasm, nodding her head seriously.

"Shut up." He mumbled acidly, making Mis' lips quirk.

"Your beverage, my dear." Sirius said, striding over to her and offering her a short crystal glass half full with clear amber liquid. She took it from him, and smelled it cautiously.

"It's firewhisky." Sirius supplied, smirking at her.

She toasted him and Snape wryly, before sipping the drink delicately. It was spicy like cinnamon, with a distinct flavor of tree bark. It burned her throat as it went down, which made her cough briefly, but the overall sensation was quite nice. She felt its heat spread through her limbs as if her blood had risen several degrees, and numbed slightly.

"If everyone could please join me at the table." Dumbledore requested politely.

"Here we go." Snape muttered in a low voice, as he and Mis took their respective places on Dumbledore's left hand side. It took a moment for everyone to quiet down and find their seats.

Dumbledore raised his arms as if to embrace the entire room.

"Friends, through the work and bravery of Miss Holtzer and Severus Snape, we sit here today with someone who we were sure to never again encounter on this physical plane. They have offered, to Sirius, the greatest gift that can be bestowed….. a second chance." Mis bit her lip to hide a smile. Dumbledore was such an old sap, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

"Miss Holtzer, has done what only Merlin himself ever successfully accomplished, she walked through the very gates of Hades, through the realm of the dead and returned." Mis wondered how long the old man had been preparing this speech, and whether it would be in poor taste to start chuckling at his melodramatic tone.

"She extended her hand out of sacrificial love and kindness, with no thought for her own mortality, and reunited a family."

' _Ok, someone needs to stop him now_.' Mis thought to herself seriously, turning to look conspiratorially at Snape. He looked down at her with a bored 'I told you so' expression on his face.

"For this, she deserves not only our gratitude for her heroism, but our admiration." Dumbledore said with reverence, inclining his head in Mis' direction. She could feel herself going pink, but did her best to keep her expression stoic.

"Miss Holtzer, would you care to say anything?" Dumbledore asked, smiling serenely at her. Mis froze in place, her mind going blank except for the phrase 'Karma's a bitch', as she considered that perhaps this was her comeuppance for bringing unwanted attention to Snape. Most of the time, Mis didn't mind public speaking, and in fact, somewhat enjoyed being the center of attention. On this occasion, however, with Dumbledore fluffing up her apparent selflessness and everyone looking at her with wonder, she found herself uncharacteristically lost for words.

Mis cleared her throat, and glanced over at Snape who looked quite amused with her uncomfortable predicament. She stood up and looked around the room; at all the faces turned to her. Her eyes found Sirius, who offered her an encouraging nod. She smiled at him.

"Thank you, sir, for those kind words, but I shouldn't be considered any kind of hero. I only did what any of you would've done if given the opportunity, therefore, I will not accept your admiration. I will, however, humbly accept your gratitude for what I did, even though it was a task that I felt honored to perform." Mis' voice shook a little as she spoke, and for once, her normally mischievous eyes held nothing but sincerity and honest-to-god humility. Not knowing what else to do, she sat down awkwardly.

Snape, probably sensing her weakness, leaned slightly towards her.

"How bloody _noble_ of you." Snape said in a voice only she could hear, his tone sardonic and full of entirely too much glee. Mis bit her lip and slowly closed her eyes, trying to fight down the impulse that made her want to smack the grouchy bastard upside the head.

"To Artemis Holtzer and Severus Snape." Dumbledore said softly, raising a snifter full of honey colored liquid toward the two people in question. The entire table cheered them, and drank.

They all laughed and sipped their drinks, Mis being careful to drink her fire whisky slowly, though that didn't stop her from getting a bit tipsy. Everyone was leaning towards Sirius as he told the story of his rescue… with slight embellishments, or more accurately he lied his ass off.

"…Just as we thought we were safe, a hooded figure, 8 feet tall, stood in our path; blocking our way to the black sand beach." Sirius said in a low voice, raising his hand slowly as if blocking his face from the completely imaginary entity. "His breath reeked of the void itself, of emptiness and discontent…" Sirius said, his voice just above a whisper. ' _He'_ _s having way too much fun with this_.' thought Mis as she mildly sipped her beverage. "Being the Gryffindor that I am, I stepped in front of the lady, and demanded that we be left in peace." Sirius said, puffing his chest out proudly at his fake gallantry. " _No mortal may command Pluto_ , the hooded figure bellowed, in a yell that shook the earth beneath my feet. Mis fainted in my arms, as Pluto towered over us…" Mis snorted, and rolled her eyes. She didn't know when he had been able to find the time to construct his embellished tale, but thought that perhaps it was just in his blood to pull a story out of nowhere.

"Sirius?" Hermione said skeptically, "Didn't you say Hecate was there?" She asked, smirking a little. "Yeah…So Pluto was towering over…" Sirius said dismissively before jumping back in to his story.

"Then how could Pluto be there as well?" Hermione asked with narrowed eyes, cutting him off mid-sentence.

"He's the god of the underworld, Hermione." Sirius stated plainly, turning to look at her.

"Not of the _Greek_ underworld, Pluto is the god of the Roman underworld. Mis mentioned Charon earlier and you mentioned Hecate, both are deities of the Greek underworld." She said, with the know-it-all tone that Mis loved her for. Hermione mockingly tapped a finger to her lip in thought, "So how could there possibly be a Roman god in the Greek underworld?" She asked with an ironically studious tone.

Mis started laughing heartily.

"Excellent observation, Hermione. Ten points to Gryffindor!" She said toasting her glass to the wild haired girl. Hermione beamed at her. "Can I give and take away points, Dumble bee?" She asked suddenly, as a side thought, her word slurred slightly.

"Well you _are_ technically employed her as a teaching assistant, so yes you can." He replied, a smile crinkling his vibrant, bespectacled eyes.

"Ten points from Gryffindor. Holtzer, you can't just go around giving points out for observations any infant could make." Snape insisted, shooting both Mis and Hermione the evil eye.

"Fifteen points to Gryffindor. It was a smart comment, and if you can deduct points from Neville Longbottom for merely breathing, than I think I ought to be allowed to give points for things that bring me amusement." Mis replied tartly.

"Fifteen points from Gryffindor. Albus, this is too much power for her, she cannot be trusted." Snape said, turning to the headmaster accusatorially.

"Twenty points to Gryffindor. Don't listen to him, Dumble bee. I'm a goddamn pillar of virtue and self-restraint." She said, before gulping down the rest of her firewhisky, mumbling that she was a "hot-pillar" while Snape was a "not-pillar."

The room got quieter as the night wore on, and Mis was feeling tired and sluggish from her drink. No one seemed to want to go home, as there seemed to be a collective belief that once they left the room, they would find out it had all been some kind of communal hallucination. Mis was content enough to rest her head on Snape's shoulder, and listen to the hushed but cheerful banter that filled the room. Every now and then, Snape would shift the shoulder she was occupying with her head, and mutter something like "Not a bloody pillow." He never made her move though.

"Albus, not that this hasn't been a bloody lovely experience, but didn't you mention that there urgent matters regarding Holtzer?" Mad-eye grumbled from the other side of the table, his blue eye whizzing around rapidly to stare at her from beneath his sandy brown hair. Mis lifted her head, suddenly feeling considerably more awake.

"Ah yes, it would seem that time, as always, time has gotten the better of us." The old man said, glancing briefly at Mis before addressing the room. "I'm afraid there is a rather disturbing situation that has developed. The Dark Lord has taken an interest in Miss Holtzer and, as of this afternoon, has begun his scheme of procuring her." The room at large gave an audible gasp, and began looking over the Mis worriedly.

"But Ablus…" Mrs. Weasley scolded, as if it had been Dumbledore's idea. "…She's just a girl, barely of age." The plump woman protested maternally, her brown eyes tense with concern for a girl she hardly knew.

"She's not _just_ a girl, Molly." Mad-eye said gruffly, looking at the matriarch, his magical and natural eyes fixed unwaveringly on her. The way Mad-eye said it made pride swell in Mis' chest, and she couldn't help but give a small smile at the Auror's words. "I've been training her for nearly three weeks, she's taken to it quickly. If I'm given another two months or so, she'll be a weapon. She is, at this time, one of our greatest assets. When this whole goddamn thing comes to a head, she can be at the frontlines, without fear of being harmed by magic." Mad-eye said emphatically, sounding like a general laying out the latest strategy.

Mis nodded her head slowly, that sounded like a good plan to her, and when the time came she would be more than willing to help them kick some ass.

"She's not a weapon, Mad-eye, she's a person, and a young one at that. Besides, we're getting too far ahead of ourselves…" Sirius stated firmly, turning his eyes from Mad-eye to Dumbledore and inclining his head to the latter, urging him to continue.

"Thank you, Sirius. Narcissa Malfoy is currently the one who is intended to speak with Miss Holtzer. That, however, is not what concerns me the most. Severus has informed me that The Dark Lord has requested the Iuvenes Rursus potion." Dumbledore stated gravely. There was a collective sharp intake of breath from the table. Mis had taken Latin as a freshmen, but she was a little rusty, she did however catch know what iuvenes meant…young. She furrowed her brows, and looked at Snape with questioning eyes. He ignored her, with pinched lips.

"How can that be?" Sirius muttered in awe.

"I'm sorry to be 'that guy.'" Mis said, apologetically, looking at Dumbledore. "But what _is_ the potion? What exactly does it do?" She asked.

"The Iuvenes Rursus, is an ancient, dark potion. It can only be completed on All Hallows Eve, under a blood moon. The ingredients are…horrific. It requires the blood of seven different creatures before they reach the age of maturity, including that of a witch or wizard under the age of seventeen. If done correctly, it can turn a witch or wizard's body back to prime physical condition." Dumbledore said, and Mis could see a strange sadness in his eyes as he considered her. Mis shook her head in confusion.

"But why would he want that? I mean why is this part of his plan to get me?" She said skeptically, her face scrunched in thought.

Snape let out a huff of exasperation.

"He intends to _seduce_ you, Holtzer!" he exclaimed, loud enough for Mis to jolt slightly. Mis turned to him slowly, with one eyebrow raised.

"Seriously?" she asked, absently miming a closed mouth expression with her hand as she heard Sirius begin to say something, probably having to do with her choice of word. Snape nodded once. Mis bit her lip and turned away to stare into space with narrowed eyes for a solid minute.

Mis bowed her head, as she felt something snap inside of her, the last thread tying her to sanity she would later realize. She was laughing so hard it was silent, with her shoulders shaking as if sobbing, which _is,_ incidentally, what everyone thought she was doing.

"Oh, my dear." Mrs. Weasley said softly. Mis felt her stomach contract painfully with her violent laugher, and knew if she didn't calm down it would start cramping. She took in a deep shrieking breath, as she clutched her stomach.

"That…" she started, but she couldn't speak yet. Everyone muttered worriedly, perhaps concerned that she was having some sort of psychotic break. "Seduce me…" she said, in a wheezing voice, unrestrained tears of laughter pouring from her eyes as her head remained bowed.

"Are you alright, Mis?" Sirius asked from across the table. She wordlessly waved her hand in the direction of his voice absently.

Her mind was conjuring images of a grey skinned Voldemort in his thin black robes, laying seductively on a bearskin rug in front of a fireplace, his giant snake curled around his neck like a circa 2001 Britney Spears knockoff. Voldemort in a red negligee, rolling his hips in circles while the _Careless Whisper_ saxophone solo plays in the back ground. Mis had checked out, sanity was gone and in its place were hilariously disturbing images of Snake Face's seduction.

"Sweet, baby Jesus." Mis muttered, getting a partial hold of herself.

She looked around the room, her eyes glistening brightly, and her face rosy from laughter. No one else seemed to think it was as funny as she did. Mis cleared her throat.

"Sorry about that." She said, trying to sober herself, but small giggles kept escaping through her lips.

"This is no laughing matter, Holtzer." Snape growled menacingly. Mis shook her head.

"You are entitled to your wrong opinion, Snape." she said, stifling a snort.

"I don't see what's so funny about this, Mis." Sirius said, in a reprimanding tone. She gave him a look of betrayal, of all people Sirius Black ought to have been the one to see the humor in it with her.

"Voldemort is going to attempt to _seduce me._ " Mis said slowly, as if he would better understand her amusement if he heard her say it, while simultaneously thinking that the sentence she just uttered was possibly the most ridiculous thing she had or ever would say.

"Miss Holtzer, Tom Riddle was notorious at this school for his abilities of coercion, not only of students, but staff as well. The entire female population of this school was completely at his disposal during his time here. He was exceedingly attractive, smart, charming, polite, yet always maintain that air of mystery and danger…it makes for deadly cocktail, Miss Holtzer, that few have been able to resist." Dumbledore said wisely, piercing her with his clear, blue eyes. She sobered considerably under the grave look he was giving her.

"Look." She said holding up her hand. "I'm not gonna say I'm totally impervious to charm and a strong jawline, but I mean come on…Give me a little credit, I'm not just gonna throw myself at the first evil dictator that shows an interest." She said mildly, watching as her words sunk in around the table.

"That may well be true, girlie, but you can't fully know." Mad-eye said, fixing her with a stare.

Mad-eye was right, and Mis knew it. She believed that she could resist damn near anything that she didn't want, but what if Snake Face was capable of somehow changing her mind?

"I recognize that I'm not infallible, ok? All I'm trying to communicate is that firstly, this is a pretty hilarious scenario, and secondly we'll just have to take this in stride." Mis said diplomatically, shrugging her shoulders casually. "Anyway, the point of the matter isn't 'will I be able to handle the nose-less wonder?' it's 'how in the fuck are we going to deal with him wanting to recruit me?'" Mis said, clearing her throat and standing up in preparation for her proposal about the Malfoy's.

"Here's what we know. One, he wants me on his side. Two, like it or not he will eventually get to me, and to be entirely honest with y'all, I'd prefer it to be on our terms instead of him sending one of his cronies to knock me over the head and kidnap me. Three, he's sending Naricissa Malfoy, and folks, that's a goddamn golden opportunity." Mis said confidently, smirking a bit at the slight confusion of their faces at her last words.

"I know _for a fact_ , that the Malfoy's, including Draco, his mother and his Luscious-Locks father will switch teams, so to speak. I propose that we begin trying to find a way to get them out from under Snake Face." Mis said boldly, her voice strong despite her fear of their instant rejection of her idea. The room went quite, no one protested instantly, so she took that as a good sign and continued.

"Narcissa Malfoy is first and foremost a mother, she's desperate right now, and she doesn't want her son to murder Dumbledore. Draco is scared shitless at what Voldemort expects him to do. Lucius has fallen out of favor with Voldemort so much, that I'm pretty sure he would take any chance offered to get him and his family to safety." She said, noticing everyone was listening intently, except for Sirius and Snape who both looked petulant and cross. She ignored their glares, and instead focused on the group.

"So…" she said clapping her hands once crisply. "I propose we allow Narcissa to "collect me", then we can open this line of communication _very_ carefully, we don't want to scare her off. I'll meet with Voldemort, which as per Voldemort's promise, will bring back Lucius, at which point we can get them all out together." Mis said, looking around the table.

"These are the bleedin' Malfoy's we're talking about! They are dark wizards who'd double cross us in an instant to save their own hides." Mad-eye said, looking at Mis with a hard, unwavering gaze. Mis smirked.

"Before we agree to help them, _Peggy_ , we'll force them to make unbreakable vows…fuckin' obviously. Did you guys forget about _magic_ here? We can force them to be honest with us." She said condescendingly, before cocking her head to one side in thought. "I mean sure, it's not the most ethical thing to do, but it's the best option available to us." Mis said matter-of-factly.

The group continued discussing the pros and cons of offering the Malfoy's a second chance, everyone seemed to be of two minds about it. With Snape and Sirius still violently opposed, and the rest of the group mostly unwilling to let Mis journey into the snake pit, it became apparent to her after a while that they would likely not come to a conclusion that night, much to Mis' chagrin. After an hour or so of bickering, Dumbledore stood regally from his seat.

"Well, I think we have been given a great deal to think about, perhaps it would be best if we were to retire and sleep on this new information. I for one am quite looking forward to being embraced by my wonderful goose down pillow." Said the old man serenely. Mis humphed into her chair, she was tired but didn't want to leave this problem unresolved. She was about to say so when she felt a swift kick to her shin from underneath the table.

"Bastard." she muttered acidly to Snape, who looked rather smug at having been able to effectively silence her. Said bastard gave her a smirk, she glared at him with narrowed eyes.

"Albus, before we all retreat, there is one more thing that I've been…thinking about." Mad-eye said slyly. Mis turned to look at him, as did the entire table.

"What did you do to Draco Malfoy, Holtzer?" He said in a surprisingly soft voice. Mis was taken aback by his question, she wasn't even aware that he had known about the burn curse incident.

"I just did what Snape told me to do, I applied the burn gel." She said quickly, as if she were in trouble.

"I think you did more than that, girlie." Mad-eye said, raising his eyebrow with an amused tone. "It's impossible to know precisely what you did…however, I have a theory." The Auror said, sharing a glance with Dumbledore.

"Alastor this isn't the time…" Dumbledore started, his face set in a stern line. Mis' confusion multiplied.

"It _is_ the time, Albus." Mad-eye barked, causing Mis to jump. "I think you can absorb curses from others without any adverse effects to yourself, Holtzer." Mad-eye said, watching as she considered his words.

"Sound about right to me." She said, unsure of where Mad-eye was going with this.

"Furthermore, I think you can do it again…with Albus." He finished.

The young girl's eyes went wide as Mad-eye's words soaked into her brain. It made perfect sense to her, if she could take the curse out of Draco's body, she should be able to extract the curse from Dumbledore's arm.

"Oh, my god." Mis breathed. The table was still, as all eyes watched her, wondering what she would do next. Her eyes shot to Dumbledore's blackened hand, then up to his face.

"How long have you had this theory?" She asked in a dangerously still voice, not taking her eyes from Dumbledore.

"The same day I heard about Malfoy." The Auror supplied. Mis was angry that this idea hadn't occurred to her, but even more so that Dumbledore hadn't told her. Why hadn't he told her?

Dumbledore sighed heavily, obviously seeing the flickering anger in the girl's eyes.

"My dear, I didn't want to add any further pressure to you on my account." He said wearily.

"I would appreciate it…if you let me decide what I can and cannot handle." Mis said slowly, rising from her chair. Wordlessly she walked to stand beside the old man, who looked up at her with an inscrutable expression. She reached for Dumbledore's black arm, with a look of determination on her face.

"Holtzer!" barked Snape, standing from his own chair and gliding over to her. "You've done _enough_ , your body needs to rest. The last time you did this, you fainted, and that curse was not as powerful or dark as this one is; who knows what could happen..." Snape said, he spoke sharply but there was a softness in his eyes that made Mis smile up at him warmly.

"I'm doing it Snape. I have to try…it's why I'm here." She said softly.

"Mis." Sirius said, walking over to stand beside her as well. "Maybe, Snape is right. You should at least rest a few days, before trying." He said, almost pleadingly. She smiled at the two men, at their protectiveness.

"What's the worst that happen?" she said lightly, turning to look at Dumbledore. "We don't even know if it'll work, anyway." she added as an after thought.

Dumbledore looked at Mis, resignation in his eyes.

"If you must." he said simply. Mis smirked, and reached for his hand.

She stood over the old headmaster, cradling his charred hand in both of her own. The moment she closed her hand around his, she began to feel it. It was different from Draco's curse, this felt older and far more sinister. It felt like ice water was replacing the warm blood in her veins, she shivered. She noticed it was painful this time, as the black began receding from Dumbledore's hand and into her own. It traveled fast, like ink dropped into a bowl of milk her skin changed. She closed her eyes, trying to shut out the freeze that was taking over her body. She whimpered, as the ice curse traveled up her arm to her collar bone and around her neck.

"Holtzer." Snape said, but his voice seemed very far away, everything becoming hazy. She opened her eyes to see everything blurring together, with the only thing in sharp focus being the old hand that was almost entirely normal except for pale grey finger tips. She was so close, it was almost gone. She started shivering uncontrollably, as she saw that last bit of darkened skin recede.

"Holtzer, stop." Someone said, and Mis listened. She let go of Dumbledore's hand and fell to her knees, her body convulsing in violent shivers. She was so cold, but this cold wasn't numbing, it fought against her like an arctic wind. She looked down at her arms, they looked glazed in jet black stone, shiny and strangely beautiful, as if she were a statue carved from onyx. She heard a commotion around her, and vaguely felt as though she had been lifted off the ground into a blessedly warm pair of arms. She couldn't fight the cold, she felt it closing around her heart and lungs making her gasp. Her heart began to race, and panic took over her as she began to thrash against the arms holding her as she tried to breathe.

Then there was something familiar, a gentle thrum, like a heartbeat sharing warmth with her. It was like an embrace, she wanted to drink it in, to soak in it like green things soak in the sun. Slowly she stopped shivering. She was still in a pair of arms when the whole world went black.


	12. Virtues and Vices

**First things first, holy damn, thanks to JessicaWxo, N3zum1, PiffyEQ, cassbyjess, ifuckinglovecake, jcscheidt, khadz12345, nightworldangel, wishiwererowling, and artemisdarkmoon. Thanks so much for following, hope you're enjoying my little story.**

 **Review Replies**

 **sushiZombie123: Thank you so much for taking the time to follow and leave such a thoughtful review! I'm glad you're enjoying the sass, I certainly enjoy writing it, and I can't wait for Mis to meet Voldy either.**

 **ifuckinglovecake: A username after my own heart. I'm glad you're loving it.**

 **khadz12345: You're just trying to make me blush.**

 **artemisdarkmoon: Thanks! I'm so gonna love writing the whole Mis and Voldemort stuff, she won't be pulling any punches.**

 **Bleedingblue: As always, you manage to make me smile with your incredibly thoughtful reviews, and I honestly don't know how I got so lucky to have such a reader. I'm totally floored with your reactions and I absolutely love reading them! Also, thanks for understanding about finals.**

 **Author's Note: I'm a bit worried about this chapter, I tried doing it several different ways and this is the one I liked best. It's not as funny as the previous ones in my opinion, but there is more plot development. The next chapter is already started, and I'm pretty sure it's going to be a lot more lighthearted (hey that rhymes). I'll be over here biting my nails and waiting for everyone to say they hated it, so please try and ease my agony and leave a review.**

 **Disclaimer: No, I don't own Harry Potter story, I just like messing with it**

 **Chapter 12:** **Virtues and Vices**

Snape knew something was wrong when Mis closed her eyes. The brittle, charcoal colored skin of Dumbledore's arm was bleeding into the pale skin of the girl, coating her own arms in a glossy, tar like substance as she held on. It seemed to be going fine, she had her face set in determination, then something changed; she shut her eyes tightly, as she struggled to keep her face impassive, but Snape could tell she was in some kind of pain. The room was silently watching in awe, as the girl took the curse into herself. She made the softest sound of discomfort, a small, timid noise that slipped past her normally smirking lips as if against her will.

Snape did not like that sound, it cut him more than her raging voice or sharp words ever could. It made him feel helpless, he did not want Mis to be in pain in any case, but especially pain that he could not, in some way, remedy. He was not a caring man, neither was he easily given to friendship, but this girl had, even from their first meeting, known that about him and had never begrudged him for it. Instead when met with his sourness and snide comments she had given as good as she got, and what was more, her own sarcasm wasn't born of bitterness as his was, it was more out of amusement and lightness.

"Holtzer." Snape said, though he wasn't sure why, he knew she wasn't capable of listening to him, preoccupied as she was. Mis opened her dark hazel eyes, and whatever pain she was feeling made them look hard and defiant. She stared at the wrinkled hand clutched tenderly, but firmly in both of her own. It looked completely healed to Snape and everyone looking on, yet still she gripped it; watching it intently. A massive tremor tore through her body as the polished, black tar slithered up her collar bone and around her neck. She began shaking, and goose flesh bloomed across every inch of visible skin as she began to shake where she stood.

"Holtzer, Stop!" Snape exclaimed at her. For perhaps the first time in her stubborn existence, she heeded Snape's words, dropping the headmaster's miraculously normal colored hand.

Mis fell to her knees, causing everyone to rapidly rise from their seats and scramble over to where she knelt. Everyone froze as she bowed her head and slightly raised her strange, black stone arms to consider them. Something seemed to snap inside of her, and she seemed to crumple in on herself. Folding inward, she clutched her knees to her chest, her whole body began shaking violently, as a ragged, guttural gasp was ripped from her lips. Everyone collectively made to move towards her. Snape bent down to scoop her up easily into his arms. Her skin was freezing and it bled through his robes making him shiver as he shifted her weight to cradle her against his body.

"What's happening to her?" Sirius demanded, following close behind Snape as he maneuvered through the people to get her to the couch in front of the fire.

"Whatever _idiot_ thought you can get something for nothing…was wrong." Snape replied acidly, glaring at a troubled looking Mad-eye. Tremors wracked through her, and before he could set her down, she began thrashing wildly in his arms. Her sweet face twisted in a painful grimace as she fought against his hold, and clawed at her chest and neck with her shiny black hands, her eyes wide and frightened.

"She can't breathe!" Sirius cried, as he tried to grab her wrists to prevent her from hurting herself. Suddenly she stopped, going stiff as she stared blankly into nothing. The black tar began melting away from her neck and arms. Slowly, she began to thaw, body becoming more relaxed and her eyes softened with a relief that Snape knew was mirrored in his own. Her eyes closed a moment later, before she went completely limp in his arms. Snape gently placed her on the sky blue couch, and knelt beside her face. Sirius mirrored his movements kneeling closer to her feet, and looking anxiously between Snape and Mis.

Snape placed two fingers on her ice cold neck, searching for a pulse.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Sirius asked hectically, clearly angry with Snape for reasons known only to himself.

"Checking for her fucking pulse." Snape bit back in irritation. Snape let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when he felt the soft, but steady movement of the blood beneath her skin. He dropped his hand and bowed his head in exhaustion and relief.

"What is it? Will she be alright?" Sirius asked urgently.

"Why don't you ask Alastor? He seems to be full of _theories_ tonight." Snape said venomously, head still bowed.

"Do something!" Sirius demanded, rising from his crouching position with the collar of Snape's robes firmly in his grip. They're faces were less than two inches apart, locked in an intense glare battle. If Mis had been awake she probably have told them to "leave some room for Jesus", or something to that effect. As it was, however, she was not conscious so no one would be experiencing her biting wit.

"Take your hands off me, Black, or I'll hex you so thoroughly that only thing that will remain of your pitiful existence will be a pile of ash that smells of _Wet Dog._ " Snape said, in a low menacing voice.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" Molly Weasley exclaimed,with a tone only a fed up mother can master. She bustled over to Snape and Sirius.

"Out of my way!" She said testily, shoving them apart to walk between them. She bent over Mis, placing the back of her hand on the girl's forehead. "Honestly, what do either of you know about caring for a sick child?" she muttered, shaking her head. "She's cold, get some covers." She ordered the two men in a she-who-must-be-obeyed voice. She looked over her shoulder at them when she heard no movement, "Now." She said impatiently. Not daring to question the maternal witch, Snape and Sirius looked frantically around the Room of Requirement for something useful.

True to its name, the room provided a tall, white cabinet in the far corner to the left of the fireplace. They both scrambled over to it, shoving each other like twelve year olds as they opened the cabinet to extract several grey, large knitted blankets. They strode back to Mrs. Weasley, who was trying to rub some warmth into Mis' arms. She snatched the covers away from the two men, and gently tucked them around the girl's body.

"What do we do?" asked Sirius softly, kneeling down near Mis' head and tenderly brushing an errand strand of dark hair behind her ear.

"We wait for her to wake up." replied Snape coolly, sitting down in one of the overly plush, sky blue chairs, and settling in.

Molly Weasley flitted around Mis for a while, fussing with her covers and, after finding several hot water bottles and arranging them over the girl's still chilled body, she recognized there was little else to do but keep an eye on her, a task which she certainly wasn't doing alone. Albus had insisted most people leave to get rest, most had obliged when the headmaster promised to owl when Mis awoke, the exceptions were Sirius, Remus and Snape. Mrs. Weasley, despite Albus's insistence that Mis would be well taken care of, didn't feel right about leaving the girl with nothing but perpetual bachelors to take care of her, so she had stayed.

The three men seemed perhaps a bit over-protective of her, but Mrs. Weasley understood why. There was something about the girl's face that made her look innocent and gentle, and her eyes always appeared to have a smile in them. Mrs. Weasley thought both were rare qualities at the best of times, let alone times as dark as they were. When Mrs. Weasley had first laid eyes of her, she had seen a brightness, and her maternal instinct had instantly been to protect it. The woman didn't want to see the girl's eyes turn dull, she didn't want to see that spark snuffed out by the evil that the Order was fighting. She still didn't want the girl to be in the Order, but the woman couldn't deny that Mis had earned her way in, first with Sirius and now with the headmaster. She couldn't begrudge the girl her position among them, she just prayed that whatever Mis might encounter, that light behind her eyes wouldn't flicker away.

It had been about 6 hours since Mis had passed out. Mrs. Weasley was resting in a large chair by the fire, dozing in and out of sleep. Remus, who was well acquainted with sleepless nights, sat on the floor with his back against the blue couch Mis was sleeping on, one arm resting on his bent knee. Snape had not moved from his perch, and opted to stiffly sit with a stoic look on his chalk white face. Dumbledore had long since departed, claiming his need to store this night in his pensive, and begin research on Mis's abilities.

Currently everyone seemed to be two moments away from hexing Sirius into next week. The grey eyed marauder was pacing behind the couch, his eyes downcast and his hands clasped behind his back. The sound of his boots lightly clicking on the wood floor was entirely too reminiscent of someone nervously clicking a pen for anyone's taste. Worse still, Sirius couldn't seem to settle on a definitive pattern, his feet would shuffle and disturb the flow of clicks the moment he was getting into a rhythm. "Sirius." Remus said calmly, leaning his head back against the edge of the couch and closing his eyes. "Don't make me send to back to the underworld, Mis will be cross if she wakes up to find you dead at my hands." He said mildly, resting the crook of his elbow over his weary eyes.

"Why isn't she awake yet?" He said anxiously, throwing his hand up in the air and not pausing in his lunacy inducing foot taps.

"If you ask that one more time, Black, I'll skin you with a spoon." Snape said blandly, rubbing his temple in an attempt to relieve his pounding head.

"I won't stop him, Padfoot, I swear to Merlin I won't." Remus said warningly. Mis made a small, contended noise in her sleep, somewhere between a sigh and a snore. Everyone turned rapidly to look at her with wide eyes. It was the first sign she'd given that she wasn't brain dead. If Mis had known that there were four people staring at her sleeping face, with her mouth slightly open and her chin tucked into her neck, she would've probably told them they were being raised to 'creeper status' in her book, as it was however, she was still in a deep, unmoving slumber and therefore unable to comment.

"Maybe we should wake her up, just to make sure she's ok." Sirius said, leaning over the back of the couch, with his gaze fixed on the girl's face. Mis looked so young in sleep, her gentle face more like a child's than a young woman's. Sirius realized at that moment, that it was her eyes that made her appear older. They were the sort of eyes that could cut anyone who came under their scrutiny, yet there was also something distinctly warm and steady in them.

"You're not waking her up, Black. She needs rest, she'll wake up when she's ready." Snape said, too tired to put any real bite into his words. "Merlin knows no one can force her to do anything she doesn't want to anyway." He mumbled, more to himself than anyone listening.

Remus looked into the warm, crackling fire, allowing it to soothe his shot nerves. His sandy hair, already tinged with a dusty grey, was sure to have turned white after the events of this evening. He glanced at Snape out of the corner of his eye, and fought back a smirk. Mis had him, and apparently Sirius as well, wrapped around her finger. It was bloody uncanny the way she and Snape communicated with each other, they seemed to anticipate each other's words before they had a chance to speak them. He didn't fully understand their connection, it didn't really make sense to him. Mis was always full of mischief and good humor, while Snape was always such a sour, disdainful man, not prone to gentleness in any capacity. Although Mis seemed to bring that part out in him.

He didn't have a label for their relationship. Calling them friends didn't feel right, as they seemed to have transcended that. Of course they weren't lovers, the thought itself made him cringe inwardly, as it almost seemed to cheapen their apparent bond, it was somehow cleaner than that. It wasn't a messy thing, and it certainly didn't appear to be breakable. It was simply them, and there was something in their relationship that he found strangely touching. Remus wouldn't say he liked Snape, but he certainly considered him to be a good man and wizard, despite his less than pleasant countenance. Mis, however, not only respected Snape, but genuinely liked him and sought his company. He knew she had knowledge of all their lives, all their demons and faults and, as far as he had seen, had never treated any of them with anything other than acceptance.

Even Remus himself had been accepted by her, something the werewolf wasn't used to. He could count the number of times he had been greeted so readily, she had even joked about his lycanthropy, as if it didn't matter to her in the slightest. Remus turned his head to look at the sleeping girl, snoring softly on the couch, and couldn't resist the small smile that curled his lips.

Mis opened her eyes to a hazy darkness, after a moment her eyes adjusted and she saw a familiar road. Herb were rested on a marble pedestal it in the middle of the road's three-way divergence. The road she stood on was grey, and it felt cold and damp beneath her bare feet. 'Ok, I'm in the underworld' she thought to herself blandly, trying to stop the chill that was squeezing her lungs with anxiety.

"Goddammit." She said aloud, annoyance showing in her tone rather than fear.

"You're not dead, Artemis." Came a soft, feminine voice that Mis immediately recognized. She turned to see Hecate walking gracefully toward her from the right path. Her bare, pale feet peeked out from the hem of her long silver dress as she walked and her thick, black curls that fell over her shoulders and down to her hips, swayed gently with each elegant step.

"Fuck me with a cactus." Mis breathed, putting a hand over her chest. Hecate's mouth quirked, as she stood before Mis and looked down at her. Mis bit the inside of her cheek in annoyance.

"Can y'all just give me a day, please? I'm exhausted? Seriously, stick a fork in me…I'm done." Mis said tiredly, rubbing her brow in an attempt to ease the headache she could feel developing. The goddess laughed, causing Mis to narrow her eyes.

"You won't be here long, dear. Astral projection takes quite a bit of energy to maintain, especially for a mortal." Hecate said reassuringly, her summer sky-blue eyes brightly considering Mis' own dark ones.

"If you'll follow me, I'll show you why I've called upon you." The goddess said cryptically, turning to walk down the left path. Drawn forward by her curiosity, Mis followed close behind until her attention was stolen by what she was wearing. It was a dress that reached to her ankles, made of a gauzy, jade colored fabric that felt pleasant and breezy on her legs. She smiled down at her feet as she saw the skirt ripple on her body with every step. Before she could stop herself, she twirled in place just to see the skirt fan out around her. She giggled, enjoying the frivolous pleasure of her childish activity. Mis heard the goddess chuckle indulgently from several paces ahead.

Mis felt a bit feral in the dress, and she liked that feeling; it was as though she were a wood nymph dancing under a harvest moon. Mis ran to catch up with Hecate, loving the sensation of the earth beneath her feet and her dark hair unbound and free flowing.

"I cannot recall any mortal ever dancing in my woods." The goddess said conversationally as Mis came up beside her. Mis felt her cheeks go rosy.

"It's the dress's fault, it was made for dancing in." Mis replied with good humor.

"True enough." Hecate concurred solemnly, though her sky-blue eyes glittered as she glanced at Mis.

They walked in silence for a time, how long Mis couldn't say, time seemed to function differently in the underworld. Mis easily kept pace with the goddess's long strides, patiently waiting for Hecate to begin her explanation. Finally, Mis and Hecate came to a clearing similar to the one Sirius had been in when she had first met him, except this one had a circular stone platform in the center. It was large and around the perimeter were many archways, all similar in form to the one in the room back at the ministry.

"This way, Artemis." The goddess said softly. Mis nodded absently, and followed Hecate up several white stone steps, never taking her eyes from the strange display before her.

"I don't expect you to know where we are, as no mortal as ever seen this, nor have any of my kind mentioned it. This place is called Thanásimo amártima kai diavíosis aretí…." Hecate said gesturing around them. Mis spun slowly in a circle, glancing at each and every archway. The left side of the platform and all the arches on that side were carved from dull, black stone, while the right side and all it's arches were carved from white. The open twilit sky above the clearing cast a dim light on the black and white platform, making it look ethereal and slightly intimidating.

"My Greek is a little rusty, Hecate… and by rusty I mean nonexistent, what does that name mean?" Mis asked, her mouth slightly open as she glanced her eyes over the surroundings. "Mortal Vice and Living Virtue." The goddess replied, watching Mis carefully.

"Kind of a mouthful…" Mis muttered to herself. "Why am I here?" Mis asked turning to Hecate, with her brows furrowed slightly.

"Every hero has vices, Artemis, and every villain has virtues. Only the blind say otherwise." Hecate said heavily, and Mis used every ounce of will power to resist rolling her eyes. _Great, more fortune cookie messages_ she thought to herself in exasperation, thoroughly annoyed that she couldn't even have sleep be her refuge from this world's insanity.

Mis stopped and stared at the two archways slightly apart from the others, they were directly opposite the stone steps Mis had just walked up, and they seemed brighter than their surroundings. Mis forgot her bad mood as she took several steps closer tentatively. She did a quick count of the archways, clicking her tongue as she slowly turned in a circle and marked off each one in her head.

"14 archways, I'm gonna take a guess and say the black ones represent the seven deadly vices, and the white ones are the seven living virtues…" Mis said thoughtfully, and nodded her head slowly as she took another long, hard look at the two arches slightly apart from the rest. "These two…" She said pointing at them "…are the biggies, the ones that all the others derive from. Love and Pride. Each virtue is done with the thought of doing what is best for others, and each vice is done with the thought of doing what is best for oneself. Each virtue must have love and each vice must have pride. Each virtue must have a mirror opposite itself in the form of a vice, thus giving the virtue meaning and visa versa." Mis spoke in a rushed whisper, her voice filled with appreciation and awe. Mis turned to look at Hecate, a satisfied smile on her lips, "Perfect opposition and perfect unity." The girl finished.

"Very good, Artemis, a fine observation." Hecate said, inclining her head to the girl.

"My mom's Catholic, she used to tell me bedtime stories about the seven deadly vices…One of the many reasons I will, one day, require therapy…" Mis said, smirking wryly shaking her head in fondness at the memory. "Though I will give her credit…they always had good endings." Mis qualified. "…Not always happy, but always…right." Mis said nodding her head in consideration.

 _Mis looked up at her mother, her eyes wide and sparkling with unshed tears._

" _But there's always another way to win, he didn't have to die." Mis said, in a high indignant voice, looking at her mom. Her mother shook her head, a small smirk on her lips, and her pale blue eyes catching the orange glow of the nightlight resting on the little girls pink bedside table.._

" _The Hero has to be the Villain's perfect opposite, Missy. Otherwise it doesn't work. If the Villain is proud, the Hero must be humble…If the villain is trying to be immortal, which is something all villains want, the Hero must embrace mortality…it's just the rule. Hero's never try to cheat death, they know that everything comes with a price." Her mother said gently, tucking the sea-foam green comforter around the little girl tenderly. Mis had a frown stuck on her normally smiling lips, but she nodded at her mother._

"Artemis?" Hecate said softly, making Mis jolt and turn to look at her.

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something." Mis said, with a faraway voice before turning her eyes to Hecate. The goddess smiled, but there was a sadness that brought Mis some concern. "What is it?" She asked Hecate, fixing the goddess with her sharp, calculating dark eyes.

"You could level Olympus with those eyes, Artemis." Hecate said lightly, Mis smirked at the compliment. "Do you know why you're here, Mis?" She asked the girl with the same light tone. Mis didn't skip a beat.

"To help." She said with self assurance. The goddess smiled as she paced closer to Mis.

"You're right…but who are you intended to help?" Hecate said gravely. "Is there a limit to who you will help?" Mis furrowed her brow, what was Hecate talking about? she was here to help Harry and the Order, and of course there was no limit, Mis offered help to whoever needed it.

"Isn't it obvious?" the girl questioned, her dark eyes still intense.

"Apparently not." the goddess deadpanned. Hecate turned away from the girl to look at the two arches at the apex of the circle. She folded her hands behind her back.

"There are times when, even me and my kind make mistakes. Men call us gods, but we are subject to the same faults they are, and despite common belief, we are not the creators of this world, or any. We are your guides, and we fight to maintain a balance. Tom Riddle was gifted with great power, Artemis, and he has abused it. He has caused a tip in the cosmic scale, and you are here to level him, however, not in the way that you think. Instead of destroying him, you are here to save him." Hecate spoke with aged authority, her voice more warrior-like than Mis had yet heard from her. Mis nodded her head slowly. _Just take it in stride, Mis, take it in stride._

Mis had stopped breathing, and she only realized it when she felt her lungs burn. She took a deep steadying breath.

"I'm sorry." Mis said in a falsely calm voice, "What the fuck?" she asked, her voice almost passing for pleasant, as if she were asking someone if they were having a nice day.

"Artemis…" the goddess started, using a tone similar to the horse whisperer. "No, no, no…don't you try it, don't you try and use that "colors of the wind" shit on me." Mis said adamantly, flaying her arms out wildly, and starting to pace like a wild animal. "You want me to "help" Snake Face? the Magic Hitler? Sorcerer Stalin? the literal fucking personification of ultimate evil and epic douchebaggery?!" She exclaimed, rounding on the goddess, forgetting briefly that she was a 5 foot 2, 17 year-old pissant, who didn't weigh a buck twenty soaking wet.

Lucky for Mis, the goddess in question didn't take offense to the little mortal raging at her and instead seemed to be rather amused by it. Mis had lost her ability to form actual sentences, and opted to just bluster incoherently.

"Artemis." Hecate said patiently, her cherry lips curved into a smirk.

"He doesn't deserve help, he doesn't deserve mercy or compassion, and the only thing he'll ever get from me, is my unwavering disgust and loathing." Mis said, her jaw set and her eyes fiery.

"Who are you to judge who is worth helping, Artemis?" The goddess asked sharply, her face turning imperious and cold.

"Someone who knows that there are certain people who cannot be saved, there are some people that have gone too far done a wrong path!" Mis retorted hotly, folding her arms and fixing the goddess with a steady gaze, her chin lifted proudly.

"Do not talk to me of paths, Artemis. I am Triodia, and I know all roads!" Hecate said in a booming, dangerous voice that seemed to make the air flutter like a heatwave around her.

Mis took an unconscious step away from the power that the goddess radiated.

"You can't expect me to do this." Mis said, shaking her head. "I know this story, I know these people, and I know what Voldemort has done to them, and I. Will. Never. Forgive…or forget." Mis said firmly, turning her back to goddess in an attempt to regain control of her emotions. The goddess sighed wearily.

"You have a good heart, Artemis, but it is too often given to wrath." Hecate said her voice gentle once again, but still reprimanding. "There is something you need to see…" The goddess said, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder and leading her to one of the archways. "It is easy to forget that someone like Tom Riddle was a child once; a lonely, insecure little boy, with a dead mother and a father who wanted nothing to do with him. All too often, evil is offered an easy foothold in the hearts of those who have experienced great pain, you are here to take that pain upon yourself and offer peace to those who need it…regardless of who it is. Your heart is strong enough to bare such things, it is why The Weaver chose you." Hecate spoke softly, but to Mis is sounded like a prison sentence. Mis gazed into the goddess's impossibly blue eyes, and felt terribly small.

"I can't do this, how do you expect me to look past such a cruel heart?" Mis asked in an uncharacteristically timid voice. Hecate looked pointedly to the white arch before them. Mis followed the goddess's gaze. At first, it seemed like a mirror and she saw herself in the lovely jade dress, her soft face troubled, and her dark hair falling in soft, tousled waves to her shoulders. The veil changed like a water ripple, and suddenly it seemed like she was looking through a window into a small garden full of wild roses. It was bright and vibrant, and Mis could almost feel the sun warming the top of her head as she looked on. There was a cobblestone path that twisted out of view, and a park bench with a child sitting on it. His head was bowed and he was looking down at his hands, causing his dark brown, wavy hair to fall around his eyes and obscure his face. He looked to be about 7 or 8, and though his khaki slacks and blue button up shirt looked well worn, they were neat and tidy.

There was a strange stillness around him, and he seemed to be concentrating very hard on whatever was in his hand. Mis saw something flash in the sunlight, and she squinted to try and see it better. The veil zoomed in on the little boy, and Mis saw what was in his hand. It was a small grass snake, no bigger than a 10 inches, with dark green scales that seemed iridescent in the sunlight. The snake was woven deftly through the boys fingers, with it's small head elevated and cocked slightly, almost in query. The boy made a hissing noise that sounded surprisingly gentle, and the snake flicked its tongue out curiously before adding a smaller hiss of its own.

The boy brushed the hair from his face, and smiled at his little friend. The boy could've easily been the sweetest looking thing Mis had ever seen. He had large eyes, of the darkest unfathomable blue, high cheekbones that still had baby fat clinging to them and full fishy lips that were too damn adorable for their own good. Oh, but the little boy's dimpled smile; it put the noonday sun to shame in its brightness. This was him, the future Dark Lord, and all Mis wanted to do was hug him… and possibly feed him as he definitely looked like he had missed one too many meals.

"What does this arch represent?" Mis asked softly, not taking her eyes from the little boy's face.

"Kindness." The goddess replied simply. Mis breathed out heavily, and shook her head.

"It's not possible…He has never been kind." Mis said, her chin raised slightly in defiance of what her eyes were seeing as she watched the little boy.

"Good and evil are not as simple as we want them to be, Artemis, and in the same way that no one can be fully good…no one can be fully evil." The goddess said firmly. Mis turned her eyes to the goddess. "There is never a point when a person cannot turn back from the wrong road…if they want to, and if they have a guide." Hecate said looking pointedly at Mis.

Mis had a nature that made her want to be of help, she wanted to help people; to make them smile and give them comfort. But this…She was no saint, she couldn't be expected to forgive Voldemort after all the pain he had caused the people she cared so much about. To her, it seemed cruel that she was being asked to. She looked back at the little boy, then thought of the man who he would become, twisted by dark magic; he was like a sack of fractured bones at this point, nothing whole, and each piece sharp and jagged.

"You said that 'anything made could be unmade', you didn't say anything about things broken being put back together." Mis said, clinging to the idea that she could somehow reason her way out of this. Hecate smiled at the girl as if reading her mind.

"And you said that a virtue must have a vice to give it meaning, the same applies here. If something can be made, it can be unmade; and likewise something that is fractured can be reformed. It is the balance of things, Artemis, that each idea and all things have an opposite." The goddess said, looking at the girl with a steady gaze. Mis met her eyes, and if she had seen the goddess had the intention of forcing Mis into helping Snake Face, Mis would have fought her tooth and nail. Unfortunately, Mis had a habit of being obstinate and if she felt as if her choice was being taken away, she would stand her ground, almost to the point of complete absurdity. However, as Mis looked into Hecate's summer sky-blue eyes, the girl only saw hope and…pleading. The goddess must have known Mis' weakness, the girl couldn't refuse someone who asked for her help.

Mis broke the stare and bowed her head, shaking it slightly in resignation.

"What am I supposed to say to Harry, or Sirius. God, what am I supposed to say to Snape. _Sorry this_ sub-human _killed the ones you loved most, but I need to save him from himself?_ " She asked quietly, and she could feel tears begin to form in her eyes. She didn't know how she would be able to do them. "Why do you want me to betray them like that?" Mis asked in a thick voice. She felt Hecate's soft, warm hands under her chin and lifted it tenderly to look into her eyes.

"I assure you, Mis, they would not think of it as betrayal. Your heart was made to be a shelter in the tempest, they see that in you. It's your draw, dearest, more so than any other quality that you possess."

Mis nodded, but wasn't entirely convinced. "You are his equal, Mis, his perfect opposition. The one person who his magic cannot touch, the one whom he cannot force into submission. Right now, he sees you as a possession that he covets, and I daresay he will find out that you will neither be bought nor threatened nor seduced, when he realizes that you are not a pawn…that is when your path may turn dark." Hecate's tone was grim, and it sent a shiver down Mis' spine, _what have I gotten myself into?_ she thought weakly. "When he sees you as his equal, he will begin to offer you that which many crave in the deepest recesses of their hearts…complete devotion to the point of obsession, and you _will_ be tempted by it, Mis." The goddess said, her sky blue eyes boring into Mis' own dark ones. Mis swallowed, "But this is what you were made for, this is why you are here. Harry may be The Chosen One, but you can make it so he doesn't have to be. You have a chance to take that burden from him, your path was never set out before you likes his was."

Mis furrowed her brows. "Harry is still a horcrux, The Order still doesn't know. I remember the way to unmake a horcrux without destroying it…it takes remorse." Mis said, thinking hard. "Wait so, if Voldemort were to feel remorse for what he's done, the piece of his soul in Harry wouldn't have to be destroyed?" Mis asked the goddess her eyes going wide.

"Yes, Tom Riddle would have his soul knit itself back together…all of his remaining hocruxes would be nullified." Hecate said softly, watching carefully as the girl absorbed the information.

"Harry wouldn't have to die…or not die…or whatever the hell happened." She mumbled to herself.

"There is always more than one way to win a war, Artemis." Hecate said, placing a hand on Mis' shoulder.

"You realize not even Saint Jude would touch this mission with a ten foot pole?…and he's the goddamn _patron saint_ of lost causes." Mis said blandly. Hecate smirked and gave slight nod. Mis sighed heavily.

"I will try, you have my word that I will, but for the love of all things good and pure on this earth, do not expect this to work. I have a plan B, and it involves breaking the bastards wand in his face while his horcruxes are thrown into a raging column of feindfyre." She said with finality.

"I would expect nothing less, but if your true desire is to save as many lives as possible, this is how it can be done." Hecate said. Mis didn't know whether to start laughing hysterically (as she was often prone to in times of stress) or simply shrugging her shoulders in some sort of vague acquiescence. She chose the latter, and stored the nervous breakdown away for another time.

"You are not beholden to fate, Artemis, you are the master of your fate." The goddess said proudly, and the air around her and Mis shimmered softly. Mis raised her eyebrows.

"Like Invictus?" Mis asked hesitantly.

"Not quite." the goddess replied cocking her head slightly in thought.

"Good, I hate that poem. Fuck W. E. Henley… _unconquerable soul_? I mean really, how arrogant can the bastard be?!" Mis said narrowing her eyes and folding her arms. "I mean, yeah ok, it's an anthem or whatever. But Christ, man!" She said, firing herself up while the goddess watched her with amusement. Mis pointed a finger at Hecate as if she were personally responsible for the poem. "You know people like to think that poem was about going to war or something honorable, but it's actually about his tuberculosis, which incidentally, _did_ kill him in the end." Mis said with an indelicate snort. "So, you know, well done Henley, all that pontificating about being the _captain of your soul_ really made a difference." She finished sarcastically, before taking a deep calming breath. "Sorry, I have strong opinions about poetry." Mis said with dignity.

Hecate laughed.

"Mis, you're dropping bread crumbs and you don't even realize it." Mis was about to ask what the hell that meant when she felt her body grow numb and her eyes became heavy. "You'll wake up soon, dearest. Remember what I said about Snape, Sirius and Harry, they won't see you as a betrayer, but perhaps it would be best if you kept our meeting and the things discussed to yourself until the right time." Hecate said softly. Mis could only nod her head before she felt the dark close in around her.

Mis could hear voices, and it was immediately apparent that they were arguing.

"Let go of me, Snape! She needs to wake up, I've never seen anyone sleep this long, she needs to at least drink something, she's bound to be dehydrated!"Sirius shouted, sounding a little hysterical. Mis heard a small scuffle.

"Listen closely, mongrel. You will not wake her up, that girl needs rest and I'll be damned if I let you take it from her." Came Snape's low growling voice. Mis smirked with her eyes still closed.

"Merlin's balls, Sirius. Sit down before you pop a blood vessel, she'll wake up if she's thirsty." Remus said surprisingly calm, and rather close to wear she was laying.

Mis snorted against her will, but quickly tried to pass it off as a snore. She wanted to here them bicker some more, as it was highly amusing to her. Everything went quiet except for the crackle of the fire. She felt someone close to her face.

"I know you're awake, Holtzer _."_ Snape deadpanned, but Mis could hear a smirk in his voice. Mis opened her eyes slowly and peeked up at him.

"You're lucky I wasn't dreaming of Thranduil or Legolas…or both. Otherwise I would've had to find a sawed off shot gun and blow your ass to kingdom come." Mis said with glittering eyes. Snape raised his eyebrows. "Aren't those characters from The Lord of the Rings?" He asked.

"Yeah, I've got a thing for Mirkwood royalty." She replied unapologetically, shrugging her shoulders.

Over the next week, Mis was able to get back to normal a routine. It was decided that Sirius would return to Grimmauld Place, something that both he, Mis and Harry were adamantly and very vocally against. She had only conceded when Dumbledore stated that it simply wasn't safe for him to be there when so many people had the possibility of seeing him in all his "not dead" glory. In the aftermath of her absorption of Dumbledore's curse, everyone had seemed to simultaneously agree that she was too valuable of an asset to be put into harms way by letting her meet with Voldemort. Furthermore, they had come to the conclusion that the Malfoy's weren't worth saving and were, in fact, "Inbred, pansy ass, fairy-haired pustules who have nothing to offer except aristocratic sneers and ridiculously persistent bigotry"…to use one of Sirius's more creative reasonings. Mis respected their opinion, but she knew it was only a matter of time until they had no other option but to let her go, so she intended to bide her time. Hecate's words to her were constantly in her mind. Mis had made a promise to her, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized she had perhaps been a bit too hasty. _Yeah, Mis, just brilliant. Save Snake Face, I'll make some buttons._

Snape was royally pissed off at Mad-eye, though Mis tried to convince him that she had been fine and there was really no need to get all testy, he persisted. Of course there was little he could do except make her late for combat lessons just to piss Peggy off. Her lessons were getting more intense over the week, and as October began to chill the Scotland air even further, Mis was pleased that her body was becoming stronger…Finally. Her frame, which had always been small and thin was becoming strong with lean muscle. Yet despite her training, and strengthening body she still somehow managed to look soft, something she (and Peggy) were happy with. She knew her sweet face made people trust her…and underestimate her, and she knew that worked in her favor.

Being in shape was something Mis loved, so much in fact, that she had _actually_ taken to running around the grounds in the mornings before the sun came up. The earth still had frost on the ground, and the world was quiet except for her sneakered feet hitting the gravel. Mis had never had a great love of mornings, she hated when the sun was bright and out to burn her eyes, but she did love to see the sky change. So much so, that she started getting up at 4 in the morning and running several laps around the castle in the dark before sitting on the dock of the black lake to watch the sun rise over the mountains. When Snape had learned about it, he tried to tell her that it was dangerous and he wouldn't be surprised if she got eaten by an arcomantula. She told him she was considerably more worried about "freezing her newly toned ass off" than being eaten by a giant spider. So Snape had started sending a thermos full of hot coffee to her for her run. She had smiled the first time she had seen the green thermos floating at eye level outside her room, and once again marveled at how lucky she was to have won his kindness and concern.

A week after her trip to the underworld, she woke up at her new normal time and went for her run in the dark wearing a pair of baggy grey sweat pants, her ASU hoodie, her dark hair that was almost past her shoulders in a high ponytail, and carrying the thermos with her. After about two hours, she saw the sky was getting lighter so she went to her perch on the dock of the black lake. She took a large swig of coffee, and sighed contentedly as the hot beverage warmed her insides.

She didn't notice she had been humming to herself until she heard a voice behind her.

"That sounds familiar, what's that song called?" Mis turned to see Draco, looking perfectly put together in a warm looking dark green sweater and a pair of black slacks, his hands casually thrust into his pockets.

" _Darkest Hour_ by Arlo Guthrie." she replied with a smirk. She wasn't overly surprised to see him, it hadn't been the first time she'd seen him walking around the grounds in the early morning, though it was the first time they had acknowledged each others presence . He stood there awkwardly for a moment before he seemed to make up his mind to walk over and sit next to her.

"I don't remember offering a you seat." she said tartly, but with a smile so he knew she was teasing. He smirked back at her crookedly, his blue eyes warm.

"You didn't, I'm taking it as per my rights as a fellow early riser." He replied, with a low voice that made Mis' heart pick up it's pace.

"There's no such thing as rights, only privileges." Mis said, getting philosophical before she could stop herself.

"Nice to see you're feeling pleasant today." He replied, before yawning into his hand. She picked up the thermos from between them and offered him a swig.

Draco accepted it and drank.

"You look good." Mis said, then blushed slightly "I mean you look better…than you did before, you know…in the hospital." She said before shutting her mouth and biting her tongue. _Really smooth, Mis._ Draco gave a chuckle that sent a shiver up her spine.

"You look good too." He said, making Mis look at him with narrowed eyes.

"Don't I though? Just a constant vision of loveliness." She replied sarcastically, batting her eyelashes and gesturing to her baggy workout clothes.

"Yeah." He said seriously, his eyes locking on hers. Mis looked at him, analyzing his sharp cheekbones, pale skin, the blonde hair that fell into his eyes carelessly and his full lips. Mis smirked.

"You're too charming for you're own damn good." she said shaking her head. He gave her a crooked smile.

"I don't believe in such thing." he scoffed playfully.

Mis chuckled and rolled her eyes.

"I've been trying to talk to you ever since you came to see me in the Hospital Wing." He said, his tone clearly less confident than it had been a moment ago.

"So you started stalking me on my morning jogs?" She asked in a light tone, liking how he looked when he was a little flustered.

"Yes…I mean no, I mean I've just seen you in the morning on the grounds, I like it out here as well…" He said, stuttering adorably. He cleared his throat. "What I mean to say…" He started, setting his more confident face on. "I wanted to say thank you…again, and…My mother is have a party at the Manor on Halloween and we would be honored if you would grace us with your attendance." He said, bowing his head and looking up at her from beneath his bangs. Mis stopped breathing, half because of the damn smolder on his stupidly attractive face, and half because she knew this was the opportunity she'd been waiting for. She had to talk to Snape, but she couldn't refuse, this was her chance, she had an 'in'. _Snape really_ is _gonna kill me this time._ Mis put a pretty smile on her face,.

"I'd love to, Draco." she said sincerely. His head shot up and looked at her with a looked of surprise on his face…and relief.

She giggled softly, and for a second she forgot that the whole world was just a mass of missions, villains, heroes, and spying, and just let herself think that a handsome young man wanted her company.

"Good, that's… good." He said softly, and Mis saw a small blush dust across his cheeks and nose. Acting on pure impulse, she leant over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. His blue eyes widened, and he looked at her as if she were the most fascinating thing in all of creation. She laughed softly again and looked down at her hands folded in her lap.

"Why did you do that?" He asked, as if were genuinely curious. Mis peeked up at him and gave him a smirk that was pure mischief.

"Because I like seeing you squirm." she said cheekily.

She had expected him to blush again, but instead he lent in so close she could feel his breath on her lips. Mis could feel her heart pounding behind her ribcage, her muscles grow numb with adrenaline and her body temperature rise. His arctic eyes looked challengingly back at her, and she could see the same mirth in his that had been in her own a moment before.

"Funny…I was going to say the same thing." He said, his voice coming out in a low whisper. For a moment, Mis thought he might kiss her, but the idea had no sooner entered her mind before he pulled away with his face set in a veneer of masculine smugness. She narrowed her eyes at him. Not willing to give up her power, she lent over him very slowly, never taking her eyes from his. Her hand "accidentally" brushed the top of his leg, and his eyes went comically wide. Draco swallowed mechanically and Mis smirked as she picked up the thermos from across his body, before casually leaning back and taking a sip as if nothing had happened.

Draco left shortly after, leaving Mis to her solitude and, much to the girl's immense amusement, looked to be rather uncomfortable and particularly shifty as he walked away. She drank her coffee, watched the sky brighten and, as was the case these days, her mind turned to the young Dark Lord and his snake. It was an image she couldn't shake, it would rise to her mind often, and she would see it almost as if it were still before her. The dense green foliage of the garden that had spots of pink, red and yellow in the form of wild roses. The way he had swung his leg excitedly when the snake had given its first answering hiss. His dimpled smile, and the strange stillness that had been around him; almost like everything was captured in a clear resin. There had been no breeze, and she had heard nothing but the gentle hissing conversation. Hecate said that there was hope for him and, strangely enough, as she continued to think of the boy she found herself wanting it to be true. She tempered her hope with as much cold logic as she was capable. He was The Dark Lord and, despite Hecate's wishes, he had a snowballs chance in hell of changing for the better. The first rays of morning broke over the snowy mountains, saturating them in gold and making Mis squint her eyes. She sighed, morning was here and Mis wasn't fond of the brightness, so she grabbed her thermos, stood up, and jogged back to the castle.

Mis went back to her room, showered, dried her hair as best she could, and dressed herself in a hideous, but very warm and cozy wooly yellow sweater and black pants. She looked like bumblebee, but she was comfortable and, currently, that was her main priority. For some reason known only to the gods, her hair had actually decided to behave itself and fell around her face in dark, subtle waves that she was sure she'd never be able to replicate.

Mis looked at her reflection pensively for a moment. Ever since her conversation with Hecate in the underworld, Mis had felt a weight that seemed to shift heavily between her stomach and lungs throughout the day. What the goddess had asked of her was impossible and, if Mis was being honest with herself, she didn't want to help that noseless bastard, no matter how noble a cause it was. She wanted to see him suffer and crumble, she wanted to see him witness all his plans fail. She wanted to lock him in a cell and watch him age into a harmless, sterile shell of a man with nothing but the knowledge that he had been defeated for company. She wanted him to feel the pain he had inflicted on others turn tenfold onto himself. Mis sighed as she thought of the little boy on the bench, and her anger cooled. She wanted to help that little boy, but she didn't dare hope that he still existed inside the Dark Lord.

Mis walked briskly through the dungeons, down to Snape's office and opened the large door without knocking as was her habit. She took a deep breath of the familiar smell of herbs as she strode in and felt instantly more relaxed.

"Morning." She said with a pep she didn't really feel. Snape gave a non committal grunt of acknowledgment. He hadn't yet put on his long black robe with a thousand buttons, and was reclining in a chair next to the crackling fireplace in a pair of black slacks and a white t-shirt, casually holding a steaming white mug in his hand. He had a pair of spectacles low on his nose as he read some student's recent Defense Against the Dark Arts essay.

Mis cleared her throat as she sat down on the edge of her red leather chair uneasily, after setting her green thermos on the side table. She opened her mouth to tell him about Draco, but then shut it again. She looked down at her lap and started fiddling with the zipper of her hoodie absently, trying to figure out the best way to tell him. She stayed like that for a minute before she heard Snape throw the essay on the coffee table with a soft whack.

"Alright." He said in annoyance. "What's the issue?" he said looking at her over the top of his spectacles. Mis tried to look innocent briefly, before realizing that she may be able to fool most people with her acting, but not Snape. She sighed.

"So here's the thing." Mis started, not looking up at him. "I was running this morning, you know how I do, and after a while I decided to go down to the dock…you know on the black lake, to watch the sun come up. It's so pretty there early in the morning, cold of course, but thanks to the thermos…" Mis said, trying to sound casual before Snape cut her off.

"What did you do?" He asked in exasperation, clearly fearing the answer.

"Draco might have asked me to a party thrown by his mother…" Mis cleared her throat "…and it's possible that I accepted."

After one moment of silence too long, Mis peeked up at Snape. His face was stoic, but Mis could see the disbelief and anger building in his eyes. Very slowly he took off his glasses, keeping his eyes on her.

"Pardon." He said carefully, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"…It's also on Halloween… at Malfoy Manor." Mis said, ripping of the proverbial bandaid. Snape held his hand up.

"Allow me to understand…" He said with false calm. "You've accepted an invitation _from_ a Death Eater, wherein you'll be at a gathering _full_ of Death Eaters, on the very same night that the Dark Lord intends to enact arguably one of the most _heinous_ of enchantments upon himself? Is that correct?" He said, still with the same dangerously calm voice and steady black gaze. Mis pinched her lips and nodded.

"More or less, yeah." She said hastily.

Snape narrowed his eyes a looked away from her for a moment.

"I have one last question." He said through gritted teeth.

"Yes?" Mis said in a small voice.

"Are you fucking suicidal?!" He bellowed, bolting out of his chair as if given immense energy by his rage. "Because if so, are you aware that there are easier ways of killing yourself?!" He asked, holding his hands out in mock pleading. "Jump into the black lake, insult a hippogriff, chain your legs to the bloody rafters and hang until you suffocate!" He listed with sincerity. "Merlin sodomizing a toad!" He yelled, walking over to lean on his desk for support.

"Although those are great options to keep in the back pocket, Snape. As you know, I have no intention of dying." She replied mildly, before standing up and walking over to him. "You knew this was coming, you didn't honestly think I would just sit back and let the Order dictate what I can and cannot do, you know me better than that." She said and she tried to keep her tone gentle. "I was going to have to meet _him_ some time, at least this way, I can prepare and know a little of what to expect." She said, keeping her voice rational and firm.

"Holtzer, there is no way of knowing what he'll do or what to expect. No matter what, you'll be going in there blind." He said with a gentler voice, trying to communicate his concern.

"Well, I won't be totally blind, you'll be with me." She said with a small smile. Snape looked up at her and shook his head softly.

"The Order won't be pleased with this." He sighed, and Mis knew she had at least Snape to her side.

"They'll get over it, it's not like I'm moving into Malfoy Manor. I'm going to be there one night and you'll be with me the whole time. I mean come on, the snakes aren't stupid enough to try and slaughter me in the soup." She said bracingly. "Even if they were, Peggy's been teaching me the dynamics of fighting multiple enemies at once, worst comes to worst, I lay waste to the sons of bitches in a cocktail dress and heels." She said casually, offering a confident smile.

"I need a drink." He said heavily.

Mis clapped him on the shoulder.

"That's the spirit, just cope poorly and hope for the best…it's what I always do." She said, feeling rather pleased that she hadn't been murdered. She glanced at the clock on the wall, "Come on, breakfast is starting." She said pulling on Snape's shirt sleeve. He shook her off in agitation and she waited by the door as he put on his long black robe, using a spell to fasten all the buttons quickly.

"I feel as though my sanity is being swallowed by an abyss of lunacy." Snape said, his tone almost wistful. Mis snorted, and smirked up at Snape as the exited the office.

"Join the club."


	13. Roomates

**Author's Note: Wow, huge thanks to everyone who's followed, favorited, and reviewed. I hope you guys are enjoying the story. Sorry it's been such a long time since I last updated, but every time I tried to write for Snape, I got really sad (RIP Alan Rickman). But I'm back now! As I've stated before this story will never be abandoned, so fear not. Anyway, here's a fun lighthearted chapter. Let me know what you think, reviews are what keeps any fanfic writer going.**

 **SushiZombie123: Thanks so much for your thoughtful review. Mrs. Weasley was so fun to write, as was the Sirius and Snape bit (I really love messing with them). Hope you like this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Do I really have to keep writing these? I don't own Harry Potter and, sadly, I never will.**

 **PS Snake Face and Mis are going to meet in chapter 15, so hang in there, it's gonna be awesome!**

 **Chapter 13:** **Roommates**

Telling the Order about Mis' acceptance of Draco's invitation to Malfoy Manor went rather poorly…Later that evening, as she was perched on her red leather chair in Snape's office, reiterating the events of the night, she described the whole affair as an "epic clusterfucking shitstorm." Sirius had threatened to lock up her in Grimmauld Place, and even though Remus was the rational one, the look on the werewolf's face indicated that he might consider that to be a sound plan. Molly Weasley began yelling at her in a shrill voice that reached octaves only audible to dogs. Harry looked ready to faint from over exertion due to bellowing, and the rest opted to seethe with silent but still physically tangible rage. The only ones who remained quiet and stoic were Dumbledore and Snape.

The only one who seemed to think it was a good idea was Mad-eye, and Mis would later reflect on the fact that if it hadn't been for his support…The Order probably would've locked her in a tower and thrown away the key.

"You lot can't blame the girl for being a strategist. Besides, I taught her myself, she can knock of few heads together should the need arise, she'll be

absolutely fine." Mad-eye had insisted, making something bright and proud swell inside Mis. They hadn't been able to truly argue after that, and it was generally agreed that if Mad-eye said she was capable, they couldn't refute it…at least vocally.

Near the end of the meeting, as everyone was leaving, she said her goodbyes, received a great many looks of pity, and as she was about to follow Snape down to the dungeons, Dumbledore intercepted her with a gentle hand on the shoulder. Mis turned to find him looking at her with the full intensity of his bright blue eyes. She had expected him to offer her a lecture, or perhaps assure her that this was not something she was required to do. Instead, he just looked at her for what felt like a long time, searching her as if her reasons would reveal themselves in her dark eyes if he stared long enough. The old man patted her cheek with his newly un-blackened hand.

"Thank you, Miss Holtzer." He finally said, a small, sad smile on his wrinkled face. Mis wasn't exactly sure what he was thanking her for, but she smiled brightly.

"Of course, sir." She replied.

Back in Snape's office, Mis, who no longer needed to study The Veil, had a wizard novel about a forbidden romance between a male veela and a witch resting in the crook of her elbow. It was total trash, but she didn't care. In a world without TV or the internet, entertainment was a rare commodity and she intended to take it were she could get it… without apology. She told Snape as much when he made his disdain of the book known.

After the stressful meeting Mis was grateful for the peaceful atmosphere of Snape's office, it allowed her to get lost in the ridiculous story. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on her, even when she was actually living in a book…she still sought to escape to another one. The story mentioned casting the patronus charm, and Mis was reminded of something she was curious about.

"Snape?" Mis asked. The potions master gave a noncommittal grunt of inquiry. "What do you think my patronus would be?" She asked lightly, watching him as he hunched over the ever increasing pile of DADA essays. She was rather surprised when he sat up straighter and looked directly at her. Mis was surprised that he was actually considering her question, and not instantly replying with some snarky answer.

"I would suspect your patronus to be an owl." He replied thoughtfully, staring off into space. "You prefer night over day. You're mostly docile, but will claw out someone's eyes should they offend you. You're always asking questions, and the moment you obtain an answer, ten more questions sprout from it. You're an elitist who's easily bored with people, yet your desire is to help them…a bit condescending I might add. I've always imagined owls to be guardians and messengers, and I think that, in many ways, that is what you are." Snape said, and before Mis could fully process his words, he hit her with another befuddling thing. The bastard smiled at her and, although it was small, it was still an honest to god smile without an iota of irony.

Mis knew without a shadow doubt that she never had, nor ever would receive a compliment like that again. She knew praise from Snape was hard won, and she intended to cherish it. Somehow, Mis had earned his kindness and that made her feel like she'd swallowed the sun and the warmth of it was spilling out of her pores. She smiled genuinely, and as she caught his coal black eyes, she tried to express how much it meant to her.

"Thanks, Snape." She said softly.

"Shut up, Holtzer." he replied wryly. Mis chuckled.

Mis parked the little blue Toyota that Dumbledore had rented for her and stepped out on the narrow London street. It was cold and breezy, and the day was overcast with dense, grey clouds blocking out the noonday sun. It smelled like rain, Mis took in a deep breath and nearly giggled to herself in excitement as she exhaled. Sirius didn't know she was coming to Grimmauld Place, and Mis was thrilled that she would be able to surprise him. Ever since he had been forced to move back into the damn place, he had flooed to Mis's bedroom in the evenings and talked with her for awhile until she went to bed. It had become a nightly ritual that she had soon invited Harry, Ron and Hermione to attend. Mis's fireplace, for reasons unknown, was connected to the floo network, while simultaneously remaining off the grid. Dumbledore had said it was probably some kind of interference do to Mis's strange magical repulsion.

Either way, it made for some thoroughly pleasant evenings, full of joking and marauder stories. Hermione would often have a large tome in tow. She and Mis would sit next to each other on the small couch pressed against the wall opposite the fireplace, talking animatedly. Hermione would excitedly explain to Mis about anything magical the dark haired girl asked her about. The two boys would sit by the fire and talk to Sirius which, more often than not, involved a great many off color jokes and raucous laughter.

On one such evening after bidding Sirius goodnight, Harry had looked troubled. Sirius had seemed despondent throughout the conversation, everyone had noticed it, no one had needed to ask why.

"I'm worried about him, that place is toxic, he hates it so much." Harry said, running his hand through his messy, black hair, before sitting down heavily between Mis and Hermione. Ron sighed and nodded his head as he leaned against Mis's fourposter bed frame.

"I know, mate. I wish there was another option for him." Ron concurred, folding his arms and looking down at his feet. Hermione pulled that same look she had whenever she was trying to work through a particularly difficult athrimancy problem.

"Yeah, I wish he didn't have to be there either, especially alone." Mis said nodding along with Ron's declaration, placing a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder.

Mis was pleased that she and the golden trio got along well. After she had rescued Sirius and taken the curse out of Dumbledore, they had seemingly agreed amongst themselves that she was ok, and not nearly as scary as they had previously thought. Mis had been surprised when they had revealed to her that they had been slightly intimidated by her demeanor, at least when they had first met her.

"It's a bit unnerving to meet someone who already knows everything about you." Ron had said in defense of their collective feelings.

"Plus, you had that look Hermione or Mum gets when things aren't going right, I was constantly worried you were riling up for a good shout." Ron had said, matter of factly. Mis had appreciated the honesty, and had laughed heartily at the confession.

"I think I'm having an idea." Hermione said suddenly. Mis looked over at her curiously from across the couch. "Mis, what are your plans this week?" Hermione asked in a no nonsense voice, and fixing the girl with her bright, honey brown eyes.

"Nothing in particular, just training with Peggy, and Snape said he needed help with restocking the Hospital Wing potion stores." Mis replied with a shrug of her shoulders, not sure where that line of inquiry was going.

"What if you were to go stay with Sirius for a while? I'm sure he would love having someone else around to liven up that drab place." Hermione said enthusiastically. "We would all be there in a heartbeat, except for school." She finished, gesturing to herself, Harry and Ron and looking hopefully at Mis. Mis closed her eyes.

"I'm actually pissed that _I_ didn't think of that." She mumbled ruefully. "That's a fantastic idea." Mis said calmly before her face lit up with a wide grin. "Oh, that would be so fun." Mis squealed as the idea fully sunk in.

"Would you do that, Mis?" Harry asked, looking at her with puppy dog eyes. "I'd feel so much better if I knew there was someone there with him." Harry said emphatically, with shy smile.

"Hell yeah!" she replied happily. "Brightest witch of her age, was never more true." Mis said pointing at Hermione then bolting out of her seat to begin packing.

Snape had actually seemed pleased when she had told him of her plans the next morning. Mis suspected it had something to do with him wanting her to distance herself from Draco, and the insanity that was Hogwarts, saying it would be good for her if she got some real rest and relaxation after the intense fainting spell that happened after she had absorbed Dumbledore's curse.

"Gonna miss me?" she asked with a smirk, hiking up her backpack and shifting a large blue duffle bag in her hand to try and get a better grip, as Snape walked her to the small train depot past the edge of the school grounds.

"Not in the slightest." he said stoically, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Mis scoffed.

"You lie." she said shaking her head. "Who'll be there to cut those weird root things for the blood replenishing potion?" She asked accusingly.

"I managed just fine before." He replied mildly.

"How'll you survive without my keen eye and quick wit?" she asked in the same tone.

"I suspect the migraine I've had for the past two months will dissipate." He said absently.

"Snape." she said stopping him abruptly by the arm, then gripping his shoulders urgently. "Who's going to compliment your robes that flutter like a ravens wings at midnight, when the moon is bright and full?" She asked as if genuinely concerned and frightened with the thought of no one commenting on the potion master's robes. Snape watched her with tight lips as she stared off into the distance.

"Like cloudless climes and starry skies, and all that's best of dark and bright." She said softly, a look of pained longing on her face. " _She was blinded by the light. Revved up like a douche, another runner in the night."_ She sang softly, closing her eyes and bowing her head as if her emotions were too much to bear. Snape sighed, and shrugged out from under her grasp.

"First of all, Holtzer…" Snape started, speaking very deliberately and holding up a finger. "It is an insult to Lord Byron to have Manfred Mann lyrics so closely following his poetry." He said with disdain, before holding up a second finger. "Secondly, and rather more disturbingly, the proper lyrics are not _revved up like a_ douche…" He said, with the disgusted tone he only reserved for the very slow witted. "It's _revved up like a_ deuce, as in a '32 Ford in a bloody drag race." He stated with a grimace.

Mis scoffed. "First of all Snape, don't insult Manfred Mann _or_ his Earth Band in my presence, I won't allow it." She said testily. "They took a '73 Springsteen song, made it sound halfway decent _and_ hilarious by making it sound like they were saying 'douche.'" She said with an indelicate snort. "It's a win win." She finished with a smirk. Snape looked at her straight faced, but with a slightly unhinged look in his black eyes.

"You don't like Bruce Springsteen?" He asked in a dangerously calm voice. Mis put her hand on her hips, and her eyes flashed.

"Hey, I never said that." She said defensively. "My implication was that '73 Springsteen is not my cup of tea." She stated firmly, jutting her hip out. "…And I'll tell you why." She said, her voice feisty while she pointed a finger at him.

"Oh, I'm dizzy with anticipation." Snape deadpanned, crossing his arms and holding out his ear mockingly waiting for her argument. "He wasn't _The Boss_ until '75, mmmkay, cupcake?" She said condescendingly. "He became The Boss _**after**_ _Born to Run_. Everything before it was that weird bluegrass stuff and everything after was trite, and frankly lacked grit." She said without apology. "Yeah, I said it! Screw _Born in the U.S.A_ , the only good song on it was _I'm On Fire._ Fight Me." She insisted, holding her arms open in a 'come at me' gesture.

She cocked her head to one side in thought and abruptly dropped her fierce countenance. "How in the blue hell did we get on the subject of Bruce Springsteen?" she asked in a tone that indicated she was genuinely curious about how she got so lost in the conversation. Snape actually snorted and his black eyes glittered as he shook his head.

"You have the attention span of a bloody pigeon and a mind that generates too many opinions for you to manage without exploding in a blaze dogmatism." He explained mildly. Mis shrugged slightly in bland acceptance of his explanation.

They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable silence along the dirt road, lined with tall dense trees that blocked most of the day's overcast brightness. Mis struggled slightly under her duffle bag. The weight wasn't so much the problem, it was the size that made it cumbersome.

"Having trouble?" Snape asked, with what Mis knew to be false concern. She grunted in confirmation as she picked the thing up and tried to swing it over her shoulder. She lost her balance slightly at the different weight distribution, and she had to wave her arms wildly to get it back. Snape's lip twitch as he watched her, she looked somewhat deranged as she flailed.

"Shame." He said, remorseless and clearly suppressing laughter.

"So chivalry _is_ dead?" she asked in annoyance, blowing her hair out of her face as she righted herself and continued walking.

"As a doornail." He confirmed with a smirk.

They reached the depot, with the train wheezing to life and the sun bright, but cold behind the clouds. Mis turned to Snape and dropped the duffle bag on the rickety, wooden platform. She narrowed her eyes at him before walking forward determinedly and giving him a hug. She pressed her cheek against his chest and breathed out heavily. He hugged her back with one arm around her shoulders and his other hand holding her head gently to him. She felt a small but painful tug in her heart, it was silly she knew, but she was going to miss him, even if she only intended to be gone for a week or two.

"You're going to visit on the weekends, right?" she asked in a small voice.

"I suppose." He replied, as if the word were being ripped from him against his will.

"Promise?" she said, smirking against his black robes. He shoved her away.

"Oh, go get on the goddamn train." He said impatiently, his sneer back in place.

"Alright, alright…" She said, scrunching her neck into her shoulder as if bracing for a smack upside the head.

Mis picked up her duffle bag, and stepped onto the express. She turned around on the step and reached her hand out to him as the train started moving slowly.

"Don't forget me." She said emotionally, unable to contain her inner thespian. Mis saw Snape's lip twitch, before he rolled his eyes. Mis offered one last smile to him before climbing up the steps and into the cab car.

Mis extracted her backpack and duffle from the trunk, then walked over to the small wrought iron gate and opened it. She nearly giggled to herself again as she walked through the tiny, poorly kept and yellowing yard. She knocked on the tall, narrow door, with the gold twelve centered in the middle, unable to stop herself from bouncing in glee. It took a moment before she heard footsteps on the other side of the door. Sirius opened the door, wearing a plain grey sweatshirt and worn, slightly frayed jeans, with his dark, almost shoulder length hair pulled back out and of his face.

"Mis!" Sirius cried, his grey eyes glittering before he enveloped her in a bear hug and lifted her off her feet and placed her back down on the inside of the house.

"Hey stranger, got room for a girl looking for some trouble?" she asked playfully. Sirius chuckled enthusiastically.

"You came to the right place, love." He said spreading his arms out grandly, gesturing around the dark, narrow hallway. He closed the door quickly then turned back to her. She couldn't contain herself anymore she let out a loud squeal of excitement, and jumped in place. Sirius's eyes went wide eyed, and he clamped a hand over Mis' mouth, but it was too late.

"Filth, Mudbloods, shame upon this noble house!" A shrill voice shrieked, after a rush of curtain fabric. Sirius sighed.

"Sorry, I should've warned you about my dear mother." He said bitterly, removing his hand from her mouth.

Mis smirked as and idea occurred to her.

"Allow me?" she asked Sirius politely. He looked confused a moment before gesturing forward with his hands.

"Please." He replied. Mis swaggered over to the portrait on the wall, where the hideous woman was screaming bloody murder. Mis cleared her throat.

"How's it going?…" Mis started, snapping her fingers, with her head cocked in thought "…Walburga!" she said with a triumphant smile at having remembered her name. The woman in question, who had an ugly grimace on her triple chinned face, paused in her screaming and the looked at the girl with a sneer.

"Are you a filthy mudblood as well?! Tainting the pure walls of this ancient house?" She demanded. Mis sniggered.

"Oh, goodness no, I'm a filthy muggle. No magic flows in these veins." She said in a politician voice, full of false charm and pleasantry. The woman looked horrified, and Mis smirked again. "Don't you worry though, I've got my own little abilities." She assured the woman happily, before she could scream again.

Mis cleared her throat again. "So here's the deal…Your permanent sticking charms mean precisely…well…dick, to me. I can rip your wannabe Henry the Eighth portrait of this wall, with little to no resistance." She said matter of factly, gaining a dark enjoyment from watching the woman's face go purple. She ran a finger along the edge of the picture delicately.

"The way I see it, you do what I say or I use this canvas as fire kindling… _and_ I'll learn how to smelt metal just to destroy this tacky as fuck gold frame…hell, maybe I'll sell it and donate the profits to some muggleborn awareness organization." She said in a dangerously sweet voice, pulling her finger away and pretending to inspect it for dust before rubbing against her thumb disgustedly. The woman stayed silent for a minute, but Mis could sense she was building up for a solid yell. Mis held a finger up.

"Choose your next words carefully." She said in a light warning voice.

"How dare you? You think you can speak to me, filth?…" The portrait screamed.

Mis smiled darkly.

"To be honest, I was kinda hoping you would say something like that." She said conspiratorially, leaning in close before ripping the damn thing off the wall, bringing some wallpaper and about 20 years worth of dust with it. "Sirius, be a dove and get me some pliers." She said absently, holding the portrait away from her body as if it were something toxic, and looking at him over her shoulder. Sirius was jaw dropped, and didn't seem to understand what was happening.

"Why?" he asked confusedly.

"Because I'm about to preform a public service." She informed him with a smile. Sirius didn't move, he opted to just stare at her in complete awe and bewilderment. Mis raised her eyebrows.

"Unless, of course, you'd rather I put this thing back up on the wall…" She suggested with a tiny smirk. Sirius made several noises somewhere between the word "No" and several animated grunts before scrambling down the hall and into the kitchen. There were several crashes and bangs and Mis heard Sirius tear through drawers and cabinets in search of Mis' requested item. A few moments later, Sirius tore back through the hall, tossing her the pliers which she caught deftly in her outstretched hand. The portrait kept screaming, as Mis set it down and kneeled beside it, ripping out the felt back inconsiderate of casual damage, and proceeded to rip the canvas from its frame with a few more well executed movements of the pliers.

Moments later Sirius had a blaze going in the massive fireplace in the large sitting room across from the kitchen. Mis strutted in and was about to throw the continually screaming canvas into the fire when she saw Sirius out of the corner of her eye looking like a child on Christmas, complete with a wide grin and sparkling, mirthful eyes.

"Care to do the honors?" Mis asked, offering him the shrieking portrait. Sirius touched his heart, and his eye shone with unbridled gratitude as he took it from her.

"Mother…" He said to the portrait, in a rather pleasant tone. "Since I will never have the pleasure of seeing you burn in hell, this shall have to satisfy me." He said, with mock regret, before chucking the canvas into the flames.

The screams became warped as the fire licked at the canvas, the smell of burnt fabric and musky oil paints filled the room, and when the dreaded thing was a pile of black ash dusting the fire wood, Mis smiled. Sirius and Mis turned to each other at the same moment.

"That was a good line, how long you been working on that?" Mis asked with a straight face, but her dark eyes sparkling.

"Love, I'm strictly improv." Sirius said with dignity. Mis scoffed.

"Right." she said sarcastically and giving him a level look.

"That was the most enjoyment I've had in quite a while…Thanks." He said sincerely, looking into the fire. Mis clapped him on the back.

"I try."

"So what brings you, love?" Sirius asked Mis brightly.

"I was drafted to babysit, you got yourself a live in nanny." She said teasingly.

"Does that mean I have to call you 'ma'am'?" He asked with a cheeky smirk.

"I actually prefer the peasants to call me 'your magnificence' 'your royal awesomeness' or any variation thereof." She deadpanned. Sirius chuckled.

"Pardon me, didn't know I was entertaining royalty." He said with mock sincerity. Mis pretended to look long-suffering.

"I'm feeling merciful today, so I guess I won't have you beheaded." She said.

After that, Sirius picked up Mis' bags from the hallway and lead her up the stairs.

"You can stay here, I sleep right across." He said standing in the doorway, and pointing to the closed door opposite. Mis looked around the room. It was tidy, though there was a thick layer of dust on everything. There were two large bookshelves on either side of french doors leading to a small terrace. It was full of large, leather bound and ancient looking books. There was a writing desk made of a deep reddish wood, that had various stationary things resting on it, covered in a thin grey film of dust. The bed was large, with a simple black frame. The floor was light wood, and as seemed to be a theme in the wizarding world, there was a large, ornate fireplace.

However, the thing that really caught Mis' attention was the Slytherin color scheme, which was present in the wall colors, drapes, and rugs. Mis jolted when she figured who this room must've belonged to.

"I can take you to a different room if you don't like this one." Sirius said quickly, mistaking her silent observations for dislike.

"No, no. It's fine." Mis said absently, feeling a bit strange about being in Regulus Black's room. "It was your brother's wasn't it?" Mis asked, making her voice light and casual as she turned to look at Sirius. Sirius nodded.

"He was the prefect of the family. Always doing what he was told, until he cut tail and ran when he'd realized he'd gotten in too deep." Sirius said bitterly, his face twisting as if something sour were in his mouth. Mis felt a strange emotion that she couldn't fully identify, as if she were feeling regret on behalf of Regulus, and some kind of sad frustration that his brother didn't know that his final act was one of defiance towards the Dark Lord. Mis promised herself to tell him someday, but now wasn't the time, it would stir up to many questions.

"You know, I always wondered which house I'd be sorted into…" Mis started, trying to change the subject. "Always thought I'd be able to find out if I ever got to Hogwarts, you can imagine my disappointment when I realized the hat wouldn't work on me." She said conversationally. Sirius gave her a small smile.

"I mean, I've always thought I was a Slytherin, but who the hell knows, right?" She added with a smirk.

"So you've always been backhanded, devious, and cowardly?" He asked playfully. She rolled her eyes.

"No, I've always realized that the easiest, and most effective way to win is to convince everyone that you're not playing." She said with a dignified sniff. "You Gryffindor's, goin' around showing your cards and loyalties, y'all are more concerned as being perceived as righteous, than actually winning the game." She said, smirking up at him. He nodded thoughtfully,

"Some would say that it's not if you win or lose, it's _how_ you play the game." He said smugly. Mis chuckled.

"Yeah, that's what the losers say."

Shortly thereafter, Mis learned that Sirius had sent Kreacher to be a part of the Hogwarts kitchens and cleaning staff. Something Mis wasn't thrilled about, but did understand. She also learned that Sirius had the culinary skills of poor college student and, although Mis wouldn't consider herself Wolfgang Puck, she was certainly capable of following a recipe. What she hadn't anticipated was the ancient cooking appliances and paraphernalia. "Literally, what the hell?" Mis cried, turning the knob on the cast iron stove. Sirius was watching her, apparently entertained by her ire.

"How am I supposed to cook with this goddamn relic?" she muttered to herself. She turned to Sirius, who was leaning against the doorway with folded arms and fighting a smile. "You." She said accusatorially. "Light it." She commanded, pointing to the ice cold stove.

"How am I supposed to know how to do it?" he asked, enjoying himself entirely too much. "That's it." She exclaimed. "First thing tomorrow we're bringing this place into the proper century, wizards are too damn impractical…" She blustered, before stopping mid tirade. "How attached are you to the design of this house?" she asked thoughtfully, cocking her head to one side and looking over the kitchen with a critical eye.

"If it were capable of turning it all to ash I would've done it already, why?" He said mildly. Mis nodded.

"How much money have you got?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Dunno, over 200,000 galleons I expect. Why do you need to know?" He replied, looking rather confused. A slow smile spread across Mis' face.

"Well, your net worth is directly correlated to what part of Sweden we're going to in order to furnish this place." She said casually.

"Huh?" Sirius asked, looking at her as if she had gone crazy.

"Ikea or Copenhagen." She smirked.

After making Sirius send an owl to Dumbledore, requesting that some of his galleons be converted to muggle money and sent by tomorrow, Mis scoped out ingredients for a simple meal. Sirius's food stores left something to be desired but it was something she could work with. She didn't enjoy cooking, to her it was a means to an end and an art form she was certain she would never fully grasp. However, she did like being able to take care of others, and if that happened to involve cooking, so be it. She liked the idea of taking care of Sirius, and making sure he was fed was something she decided would be one of her many goals. So she went about her work happily, singing to herself as Sirius sat at the table and helped her to slice carrots while she browned chunks of roast in a large pot. It felt so comfortable, as if she had always been there, as her face got slightly red and dewy from leaning over the hot stove. She felt so much affection for the people she had met thus far, and it seemed to fill her up with something warm and comforting.

Mis loved to care for others, to protect, to nurture, and she took pride in it above anything else. If asked to slave, she would, and if asked to lead she would. It didn't matter to her if she was renowned or praised, and she knew that she'd been blessed to be among people with the same attitude. Despite her innate desire to help, however, she had a heart of wrath and vengeance, and she didn't like that about herself. That she could ignore her conscience and destroy without regret. Although she could never harm those whom she cared about, she knew that her heart was ice and rock to those she deemed unworthy of her time and loyalty.

She glanced at Sirius briefly and, not for the first time, wondered how she had gotten so lucky to be accepted so easily by him and the other Order members. She smiled involuntarily as she turned back around to continue cooking. She was going to make sure he would have plenty of time with Harry, and she intended to slave until he and Harry could be a proper family.

"So Ali's got Foreman wearing himself out, right? You know the rope-a-dope?" Mis asked, from where she stood in front of the table, with Sirius still sitting down and eating dinner. Sirius shook his head, enthralled with Mis' story. "Ok, the rope-a-dope is when a boxer falls on the ropes and lets himself get hit." She said, mimicking the movements of leaning against an invisible barrier and getting pelted.

"Why, would he let himself get hit?" Sirius asked with his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Two reasons." she said. "Number one, when the other boxer throws a punch the main energy of the punch is absorbed in the ropes instead of on the guy getting hit. Number two, it tires out the offensive boxer." She said, before retaking up her impression of Foreman. "So, Foreman's tired by the fourth. You can see it in his movements, he's not dancing, flat footed and Ali's basically just chillin', could be checking his nails or combing his goddamn hair for all he's involved." Mis said, doing her best impression of someone sloshed out of their mind, and throwing wild haymakers. "More of the same for round six and seven… then the bell dings for eight. Foreman get's Ali on the ropes and, at this point, it needs to be acknowledged that George is just throwing spaghetti at the wall _praying to god_ that something'll stick. He gets this little rush, throws a couple soft hits before Ali pops him two sneaky rights." Mis said, throwing two quick punches at thin air. "Foreman looks around, turns his back to Ali, before presumably remembering he was still boxing, and when he turns around Ali lays four on him, rapid fire, pow pow pow pow." She said, punctuating with several smart jabs to midair. "The crowd loses their bless'ed minds, as Foreman: the heavyweight champ, gets dropped like a friggen bag of dirt, and rolls around with little canaries circling his head while the ref counts him out."

"Eight rounds, you could count the number of times Ali nailed Foreman, honest to god. Best match ever…" Mis broke off, looking wistful. Mis chuckled softly as she sat back down in the seat opposite Sirius.

"My dad must've told me that story a thousand times. He actually saw it too, Congo '74 I think, it was before he met my mom…" Mis said with a small sad smile, before her eyes brightened. "He always said he won tickets to The Rumble in the Jungle on a lucky hand of Texas Hold 'em, I called bullshit on that." She said with a shake of her head. "My dad can't bluff to save his life." She said fondly, tearing off a piece of french bread and chewing thoughtfully.

"Do you miss them? you're family?" Sirius asked, watching her as if afraid she would burst into tears.

Mis let out a heavy sigh.

"Yeah, I do." she answered, looking up at Sirius grey eyes filled with concern. "You know what's funny? It's the little things I miss the most, the sound of my mom's slippers on the floor in the morning when I'm half asleep, my dad arguing with my brother about mowing the lawn, staying up till 3 in the morning talking about who's the most attractive member of the brat pack with my sister." Mis said in a voice that was distant and small. She felt her shoulders slouch under the weight of her fond memories. "Always a bit of black sheep in the family, but they loved me for it, always accepted me for precisely who I was." Mis said, not thinking that that statement might dig up old wounds for Sirius until the words left her mouth. Her eyes shot to him, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." She said regretfully.

Sirius waved off her apology.

"These people here may have been related to me by blood, love, but they weren't my family." Sirius firmly, the ghost of a wry smile on his face. "The Potters were my family, they treated me how yours treated you. Mia and Fleamont are the ones who gave me a home…James liked to say he was the son they were stuck with but I was the one they chose." Sirius chuckled, before heaving a sigh. "I didn't deserve them, Merlin knows I didn't, but they put up with my youthful lunacy…" Sirius said fondly.

Mis watched him as he threaded his fingers through his wavy hair, unbinding it somewhat fretfully. "It never stops…you never stop missing them." He said, and there was such an inescapable sadness in his grey eyes; a dense loneliness that feels restless, and makes a person struggle against it, though resistance only causes it to grip tighter because it has roots in the bloodstream. Mis knew the kind of grief Sirius felt was constant, and though she wanted to say something to him that was both true and comforting, she couldn't. Any words that did occur to her were too weak, so she casually slid her bowl next to his own before walking around the table to sit next to him. She couldn't fix that sadness, and she knew it. She looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him; pleading with him to know that whatever weight he had to carry, she would never let him struggle under it alone. Something in the small brightening of his eyes let Mis know that he understood her meaning. She rested her head on his collar, nestling into his neck comfortably, he responded by wrapping an arm around her shoulders tenderly. Mis smiled when she felt him press a kiss to her hairline, then rest his cheek on top of her head.

"You're really quite sweet, you know?" Sirius said, phrasing it more like a statement than a question as he brushed her dark hair from falling in her eyes. Mis smirked.

"I have my moments." She said, chuckling lightly.

"Scandal!" Shouted a male voice in the doorway. Thanks to Mad-eye's training, instead of screaming as she would have normally done, she jolted from Sirius's arms and quickly picked up the first utensil she felt and threw it cleanly at the figure in the door way. It made a satisfying slap as it hit the forehead of Remus Lupin. He let out a cry of pain, and clutched his forehead as the utensil clattered to the ground.

"Christ, Remus! Don't sneak upon me like that, I could've hurt you." Mis said, in a tone half relieved and half irritated. It took Sirius a moment to realize what had happened, but when he did, he began cackling madly. Mis stood up, glancing at Sirius's form, now shaking with silent, painful looking laughter.

Still clutching his head, Remus bent down and retrieved the utensil from the floor.

"Ah yes, death by spooning." He said mildly, hold up the offending piece of silverware.

"I don't think that's the typical usage of the word 'spooning.'" She said, now fighting back a smile.

"What were you trying to do Sirius?" Remus asked, mock suspicion in his voice as he narrowed his eyes at Sirius.

" _She_ was attempting to steal _my_ virtue." Sirius said defensively, getting a hold of himself by wiping his streaming eyes on his shirt sleeve, as Mis lead Remus over to the table and offered him a seat.

"…And it would've worked if you hadn't come barging in, I excepted to be the lady of the house by midnight…I mean _all those galleons_." Mis added casually to Remus, her back turned as she fixed another plate of bread and bowl of soup, and setting it in front of him. He smiled gratefully before digging in.

"You were going to use me for my money?" Sirius asked, appalled as he placed an effeminate hand on his chest as if wounded. Mis raised her eyebrows innocently.

"Well, that…and I think you'd look cute on my arm." She said sweetly. Sirius shrugged and nodded in acquiescence.

"Well played, Mis. Work his vanity, it never fails." Remus said, toasting a chunk of bread at her. Mis winked at Remus out of the corner of her eye.

"Ok, I don't want to see the two of you get too chummy." Sirius said sternly, narrowing his grey, twinkling eyes at her. Mis raised her brows at him and smirked.

"Jealous?" She asked, linking her arm with Remus's.

"Don't you dare bring me into your collective insanity." Remus said, though his mouth was full of soup. He tried to extricate himself, but Mis held firm.

"Hush." she said to him absently, keeping her eyes on Sirius. Remus rolled his eyes and shook his head as he continued eating with one arm occupied.

"You about to go all John Lennon up in here?" She asked Sirius pleasantly. "Were you dreaming of the past? and your heart, is it beating fast?" she asked, pausing for dramatic effect. "Are you just a jealous guy?" she asked, as if talking to a small child.

Sirius stood abruptly, and leaned over the table.

"Are you mocking me?" Sirius asked, his voice low and menacing.

"Are you mocking me?" She imitated childishly, pulling a goofy face.

"Oh, clever." Sirius replied, unimpressed.

"It wasn't meant to be clever, it was meant to be provoking." Mis replied tartly, still clutching Remus's arm. Sirius narrowed his eyes at her.

"Right." He said with a decisive nod before scaling the table then jumping on the other side. He tried to grab her but she had seen his move from a mile away, so she quickly scrambled out of her seat, dragging Remus up in the process and turning him into a barrier between her and Sirius.

"Remus, he's trying to attack me." She said accusatorially, shifting Remus by the shoulders in an attempt to block Sirius from getting to her. Remus looked over his shoulder at her.

"You deserve it." He said mildly, taking a bite of the bread in his hand.

"Remus, protect me." She whined, spinning him around as Sirius tried to get at her. "You got yourself into this and, as I said before, I will not be a party to the lunacy you two seem to be so fond of." He said, before side stepping quickly out of her reach. She yelped as Sirius lunged at her, and dodged him just in the nick of time. She laughed gleefully as he chased her around the kitchen, not remembering the last time she had so much fun. He wasn't backing off and she could see a determination, as well as mirth in his eyes as she glanced at him over her shoulder, while they continued running in circles around the table. Thinking fast, she stopped and spotted a small bowl of butter she had set out for the bread on the table near Remus, who was ignoring them in favor of the soup. With an agility she hadn't known she possessed, she leapt onto the table, grabbed the bowl and slid off the table landing deftly on the other side in one movement. Dipping her hand in the bowl, she scooped a large glob into her hand and held it up in warning. Sirius froze, and stood up straight from his predatory crouch.

"Yeah, that's right. You think good and hard about what you're gonna do next." She said, with a triumphant laugh.

"You wouldn't." He said skeptically. Mis let a slow smirk curl her lips.

"I never bluff." She said, and lobbed it at Sirius as hard as she could. She saw it all in slow motion, Sirius's eyes went wide and he tried to dodge the butter flying through the air, but Mis had anticipated his movement. It landed squarely on his hollow of his cheek, and the smack was music to her ears as it splattered across his face and down his jaw. Time paused as Mis took in Sirius; her buttered masterpiece.

She gasped as the laughter began to escape her lips, in stuttered, hysterical convulsions. She was so preoccupied with her laughter, that sounding like a strangling cat, that she didn't see Sirius walk over to her soberly, as if he had important business to discuss. She didn't know she was in peril until she felt a wet smack to her forehead. She squealed, and started laughing harder while Sirius made sure to paint her entire face sloppily.

"It's nice to see maturity and decorum in such an insane and backwards world." Remus said wistfully, while Mis and Sirius laughed like toddlers. They both turned to look at Remus, who's amber eyes were shining, though his countenance was stern. Mis shook her head, knowing that she had to make the obvious joke.

"Don't try and butter us up with compliments, Moonshine."

After Sirius and Mis had finished scrubbing their faces of butter in the kitchen sink. They sat back down while Remus finished his soup.

"What brings you Remus?" Sirius asked jovially, drying off his face with a towel while he took a seat opposite the werewolf.

"I was evicted from the complex on lexington that Dumbledore set me up in…The owner said he didn't want werewolves…said it was bad for business." Remus said with a shrug of his shoulders. Sirius nodded understandingly. Mis froze as a righteous and surprisingly intense anger boiled up from deep in her gut and to her throat, were it seemed caught like a large, bitter pill.

"What?" Mis asked in a voice that was low and dangerous. Remus looked at her with something like gratitude that she would have such a fierce reaction, but what made the rage in her body burn hotter was the look of resigned acceptance on his face. Remus gave her a small smile,

"Such is life, Mis. There's no point in getting angry. I'm dangerous, I understand the man's perspective." He said diplomatically. Mis might have been able to bite down her anger if Remus hadn't been so damn calm.

"No, I reject that!" She said emphatically, and she could feel her face going red.

"People shouldn't be blamed for things out of their control, it's like holding the sins of the father as accountable on the son. It's bullshit!" She shouted, rising from her seat violently as if she were not sure about what to do with her body. She desperately wanted to break something, or perhaps combust in a blaze of cosmic injustice. She paced for several moments trying to master herself, before turning to Remus with conviction.

"What's the fucker's name? I'll strangle him." she said in a surprisingly level voice. She meant every word too. To her, the people she loved were her's to protect and care for, and no one was permitted to hurt what was her's.

"Deep calming breaths, Mis." Remus said mildly, giving her a wry smile. She huffed angrily, Sirius chuckled, "It's no use, love. Remus doesn't name name's, I've been trying to get them out of him since we were 15." Sirius said, looking at Mis with appreciation.

"Where are you staying?" Mis asked in a business tone. Remus shrugged his shoulders, "I took my stuff to a muggle motel about 12 blocks from here." He said. "You can stay here, Remus. You know that." Sirius said gently. "I appreciate that, Padfoot, but you know how I feel about charity." He replied. Sirius nodded, and Mis got the impression that they had had this conversation many times. Mis thought quickly, she doubted Remus would bend if she were to put on the 'obey me' face she had inherited from her mother, so she needed another way to get him to stay. Mis suspected he thought himself a burden, but she knew how to handle that kind of person. She allowed herself the slightest smirk at Sirius before sitting down beside the werewolf. She fixed her face to look sweet and pleading. "I would really enjoy your company here, Remus, please stay." She said, making sure to keep her voice gentle and demure. She kept her head down and fiddled with her hands, acting as if she were shy to ask. _Going in for the kill_ she thought to herself as she slowly looked up at him with large doe eyes.

"Please?" she asked again, her voice childlike and hopeful. She knew he wouldn't refuse her if she made it seem like he was doing her a favor. Remus seemed like a deer in headlights, he hadn't expected this kind of attack and Mis knew he wasn't prepared for it. He flustered for a moment, before letting out a sigh. "Oh, fine. If it means so much." He said sheepishly. She gasped happily, and gave him a wide, pretty smile. "It does." She said sincerely, before clearing her throat and regaining her normal countenance. "Now, go get your stuff, you can have some dessert when you get back." She said casually, patting his head affectionately, as if he were a well behaved child. Remus narrowed his eyes at her, before glancing at Sirius who shrugged while smirking up a storm. Remus furrowed his brow as he got up, looking like he was trying to figure out what had just happened. When she heard the front door open and close, she looked at Sirius with a smug, self satisfied look on her face. She leaned back slightly and crossed her arms, " _God_ , I'm good." She said to herself appreciatively. "Humble too." Sirius muttered while rolling his eyes. She raised her eyebrows at him, "Bitch, I'm MC Hammer…'cause you can't touch this." She said sassily, followed promptly by a well executed hair flip.

Mis made good on her word, and as soon as Remus came back, several luggages and trunks following behind him with a levitation spell, she served him a slice of the lemon pound cake she'd made. Between the three of them they finished off the cake, and then proceeded to complain about their overstuffed stomachs until Mis decided it was time to turn in. "Thanks for coming, Mis." Sirius said before she walked up to her designated room. "Anytime." She said with a smile. "Night, Sirius. Night, Moonshine." She said sweetly, before scaling the stairs and going into her room for some much deserved sleep.

Draco Malfoy had been summoned. He had woken up to his left forearm feeling as though molten metal was being poured over it. He bit his lip to keep from howling and waking his dorm mates. He checked the time on the watch he kept on his nightstand. 4:15 on the dot. He clutched his forearm as if his cold hand would offer relief, but of course it managed nothing of the sort. His heart coursing from the pain, he stripped off his pajamas and kept his teeth on his lower lip until several drops of blood spilled down his chin. He cursed softly as he dressed all in black. When he was finished he picked up his wand with shaking hands, and muttered a healing charm before disappearing noiselessly from his dorm and through the Slytherin commons.

It was bitingly cold as he strode through the grounds to the apperation point outside of the imposing school gate, yet still his arm was blazing painfully. He turned on the spot the moment he breached the anti-apperation barrier. He felt the blackness squeeze the breath from his lungs for a moment before popping into existence on the stoop outside the large intricate door to his home. He steeled himself before holding his head up, and placing an emotionless mask upon his face. The manor was blessedly warm, and the familiar smell of fresh cut flowers and wood varnish calmed him before he noted a foreign smell that fell somewhere between raw red meat, and rust. It made him feel ill, but he didn't allow the familiar sting of embarrassment that his family had fallen so far from grace and The Dark Lord himself treated his home like a goddamn motel.

He pushed his emotions down as he always did. He heard a two soft voices talking, and walked towards the soft murmurs. He walked through the foyer, and caught a glimpse of firelight flickering through the stained glass doors that led to his father's study. He stood before it for a moment, trying to erect the occlumancy walls in his mind the way Snape had taught him, before striding in confidently. "Draco." Came the soft hiss of the Dark Lord. "Timely as ever." He said, inclining his head. For a moment, Draco was taken aback. That was certainly a compliment albeit a small one.

"I'm here to serve, my Lord." Draco said, bowing his head. Voldemort chuckled, "You've taught your boy well, Narcissa." He said softly, favoring the woman with an almost proud look. "Please sit, son." The Dark Lord said, gesturing to the chair next to Narcissa at the large rectangular table. Draco walked to it, and sat down calmly, sharing a curious glance with his mother. "I'm pleased with how you and your mother have managed to obtain the company of The Girl, and I want you to be made aware that I keep my word to those you are worthy of it." The Dark Lord began. Draco felt himself sit straighter, proud of Voldemort's praise despite himself. "Lucius, failed miserably last year at the Ministry. I, however, have decided to grant him a reprieve, based on the loyalty of you and your mother. He will be welcomed back, because I admire the skill with which he has raised his family, and has instilled such willingness to serve in them." Voldemort's voice felt like a chill along Draco's skin, but his words made the young mans eyes widen slightly in hope.

Draco heard his mother gasp, "Thank you, my Lord. Thank you." She said, and Draco couldn't help but feel ill at the way she bowed her head, looking so weak and servile. He heard a choking sob being stifled. Voldemort tsked softly, "Now, now." He said in a purr. Voldemort's hand reached out to her with his spidery grey hands and yellowed, long finger nails. Delicately, he placed a finger under her chin and tipped up her face. "No more tears." The Dark Lord said, in an obscene imitation of comfort. "I apologize, My Lord." Draco's mother said, sniffling slightly.

"Draco." The Dark Lord began, causing the young man to tear his eyes away from his mother.

"Show me what transpired when The Girl accepted your invitation." His voice was soft, but there was still an undercurrent of authority to his words. Draco felt his blood run cold, the Dark Lord had never requested to look into his mind. He wasn't a strong enough occlumence to resist the bleed through of his emotions when his memories were viewed. Draco had no choice but to comply, "Of course, My Lord." He felt the Dark lord enter his mind wordlessly. There was a brief moment where the Dark Lord flicked through his memories before finding the one from that one early morning.

The sky was pale overhead, the clouds still dark and dusted with dark purple as the sun threatened to rise. He heard her voice before he saw her, it was high and gentle, a perfect singing voice for lullabies, he thought. He crept towards the sound, worried she might stop if she heard him approach. Quietly, he stepped onto the dock, and saw her sitting on the edge, legs swinging overtop the black, glassy water carelessly. Her small form cut a dark silhouette and she swayed minutely in rhythm to her song. " _Hungry wings, their melodies, while my love awakens me, in the midst of the sunburst first light. Her hands are holding up the sky, while I hid my open eyes, every move just for herself and that's alright…"_ She sang to herself almost as if she didn't realize it. The melody, he'd heard it before, somewhere that he couldn't place. The lyrics too were bringing something foggy to his mind, but as he reached for the memory it fell farther out of his grasp.

Her voice was soothing, and something deep in his chest ached for it's tenderness to be directed at him. In the darkness she seemed distant, an island in the middle of a calm sea that no one can reach. He felt another constricting sensation in his chest and wondered if she was lonely, he almost laughed aloud at his own sentimentality. There was nothing lonely about her, despite her solitude. She was an island, but a welcoming one should someone reach her shores. Never seeking comfort, only offering it, like a deep well of cool water.

She still sang as he approached her, "That sounds familiar, what's that song called?" He asked. She stopped singing mid line, but didn't seem startled as she turned to look at him. "Darkest Hour by Arlo Gutherie." She replied, a small knowing smile on her lips. Her dark hair was pulled away from her face in a high ponytail, with several strands stuck to her slender neck. Her face was dewy from her run, and her cheeks were rosy both from exertion and the cold. The masculine clothes she was wearing made her seem smaller than usual, almost painfully vulnerable. Despite that, she looked contented, sitting in the dark of the early morning as if she were apart of it, as if she belonged to the nature around her, or it belonged to her. Her countenance fit effortlessly into the stillness and the dark.

He jolted slightly when he realized he'd been staring at her. Feeling a little foolish, he walked over and sat next to her. "I don't remember offering you a seat." She said with her tone imperious, but her eyes laughing. Draco felt Voldemort's impatience in his mind, and saw the scene speed up in front of his eyes.

"I wanted to say thank you…again, and…My mother is having a party at the Manor on Halloween and we would be honored if you would grace us with your attendance." Draco said, his heart pounding in fear of being rejected. He could tell she was considering, and after what felt like an eternity, her lips broke into a demure but strangely heart racing smile. "I'd love to, Draco." She said kindly, and he was wondering if it was wishful thinking, but was there a bit of cheeky suggestion in her voice? The thought must've shown in his face, because the next moment she let out the softest giggle. His face felt hot, "Good…that's good." He stuttered embarrassingly.

His heart seized in his chest as she lent forward and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. Her lips were soft and warm, and something like warm honey settled in his gut as she pulled back. "Why did you do that?" He asked in genuine confusion, then nearly kicking himself for asking such a childish question. Her laugh was playful, and her eyes held a strange lightness. "Because I like seeing you squirm." She said, in a tone that made his entire body tense like a wire cord stretched beyond capacity. Mis was such a tease, and apparently she thought herself to be quite humorous, furthermore, she seemed to know the effect she had. Almost involuntarily, he lent his face close to hers. He couldn't help but smirk at the suddenly serious look on Mis' face. He liked this little game, it was effortless with her. "Funny…I was going to say the same thing." He said, deepening his voice to a purr. Her smirking pink mouth was opened slightly, her eyes were curious and, despite their color which reflected their dark surroundings there was a sparkle in them that Draco found tempting.

He pulled back as her rosy cheeks reddened further and he could see a vein in her neck beating. What he wanted to do was run his lips along that vein to feel its intense, erratic beat. It was a playful power struggle and he offered her a self-satisfied smile as he leaned back, resting his arms behind him on the dock casually. Some dangerous fire lit her eyes a moment later. With painfully slow movements, she lent over him. Her eyes were watching his own and he felt, that if she so desired, she could lay out each secret he carried, and flip through the pages of his mind at her leisure. He almost jumped out of his skin at the sudden feeling of the back of her hand graze the top of his leg. Although it was a feather touch, it caused a deeply exquisite tightness in his gut that spread throughout his entire body, it was like an intoxicating cocktail of firewiskey and adrenaline.

The Dark Lord pulled himself from Draco's mind abruptly, and suddenly the dim, flickering firelight of his father's study came back into focus. He felt the tightness still in his belly, but as he looked at the Dark Lord, fear overcame it. Voldemort had a twisted smile on his face, it was smug and Draco knew that in another life, before Voldemort's face had been ravaged by dark magic, that smile had been charming. "Well, well." He said, his voice deep and purring. Draco swallowed. "It seems I've set my sights on a little viper, haven't I?" He mused to himself softly, before letting out a cackle that made Draco's skin prickle unpleasantly. "Poor boy." He said in mock sympathy, while cutting Draco with his glowing red eyes. "You've been played like the sweet little fiddle you are, Draco." He said, almost making the young man believe he felt regretful in some way, but the Dark Lord's devil smirk couldn't lie.

Draco felt ice in his veins, chilling him to his core and freezing over his heart. "Such a sweet face… pure as moonlight falling on a virgin bed." He hissed at Draco tauntingly, idly twirling his bone white wand through his fingers. "Oh, but those eyes…tell me, do they always look so… _tantalizing_?" He asked smoothly, and although his face showed no sign of emotion, there was a horrifying glint in his red eyes that made him look like a hungry predator. It was then, as Draco watched the disturbed, ravenous flicker in the Dark Lord's eyes, that he realized what he had done to Mis…He had been a vehicle for her damnation.


	14. Fixer Upper

**Well...here it is guys, we're breaking 100,000 words! Round of applause for my lack of social life *crickets*...anyway.**

 **Thanks to everyone who followed and reviewed, and bless you for putting up with my inability to update regularly (I plead guilty by reason of college). This chapter is a bit choppy, but there were just so many scenarios that I thought were funny, so I ended up just keeping it the way it is. Also, I've gone back and attempted to remove as many technical and continuity errors as I could find, I'm sure there are still some (in this chapter as well), so try and overlook them as best you can. Also, reviews are what I eat, and if you don't give them to me, I'll starve**

 **Guest: Oh, dear god...I've brought out a lurker...I'm a bit speechless, they said it couldn't be done. But seriously... I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the story so much, it really makes my day to hear that I'm offering some kind of entertainment! I love writing Mis and I'm glad you love reading her, and the best compliment I could ever get is that she seems real, that's what I'm aiming for, so I'm ecstatic that I'm hitting the mark. As for her relationship with Snape, I don't think there are any overt romantic feelings between them. But I feel like any relationship where two people are really close and truly understand each other, the line between platonic and romantic can blur slightly. In other words, I think it could be possible for them to fall in love, given the right circumstances...alas, not even I know if that's actually going to happen. Well, now that I've practically written a novel in reply to your reviews, I think I'll just finish by saying I really hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Black Legacy: Thank you so much, you get a virtual plate cookies and a new chapter for being so sweet!**

 **Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I wouldn't be a poor college student. I am a poor college student, thus, I do not own Harry Potter.**

 **Chapter 14: Fixer upper**

Mis awoke to the sound of shouting, she groaned as she heard the voices drawing nearer to her door. It was too damn early for shouting, yet that's what Remus and Sirius were doing. Her eyes flew open as they crashed through her door. Two red faced blurs hurtled towards her at the speed of stupidity, causing her to yelp and clutch the bed quilt to her chest as she sat up, trying to preserve some semblance of dignity.

"Get off me, Moony. I'm gonna ask her, we need someone impartial to decide." Sirius said, shaking off Remus who had gripped the latter's arm, trying to usher him back out the door.

"You can't go barging in to a girls room, idiot, she could've been totally exposed for Merlin's sake." Remus exclaimed in irritation, obviously disgusted with his friend's lack of foresight. Sirius strode toward Mis's bedside with conviction, ignoring Remus, who now had his bowed, forehead in his hand.

"Doughnuts or bagels?" Sirius asked in a voice that boomed with absurd intensity. Mis blinked, her mind and her bleary eyes trying to focus. Sirius loomed over her, his wavy, black hair falling into his eyes. Mis eyes focused better as she looked at him. He was only wearing boxers. It took a moment for Mis to register what her eyes were seeing as, for a moment, she thought it must be some kind of vivid dream brought on by too much lemon pound cake the previous night. Something clicked in her head and she instinctively threw a pillow at him, which he caught reflexively at his naked chest.

"What the hell, Sirius?!" Mis exclaimed, going slightly pink.

"What?" Sirius asked confusedly, opening his arms with the pillow held in one hand and looking to Remus for answers. Remus had his sandy head still in his hands, no doubt questioning every life decision that had brought him to this point.

"Since when are you an exhibitionist?!" She shouted. Sirius looked down at himself, as if he had just realized he had no clothes on.

"I'm not an exhibitionist, but I have been told I have boundary issues." He said thoughtfully.

"Bit of an understatement." Remus said mildly. Sirius shot him a glare.

"Just answer the question." He said urgently, turning back to the girl. Mis briefly considered strangling him, before opting to glare fire into his face.

"That is literally the stupidest question anyone has ever asked in the entirety of recorded history!" She shouted, throwing her covers off in a tiff and standing as tall as she was capable with her hands on her hips, trying to look intimidating despite her pink tank top and unicorn printed sleep shorts. "How in the blue fuck can you not know that the answer is _always_ doughnuts?!" She exclaimed throwing her hands up, cursing whatever god that would allow such ignorance to exist. "It doesn't matter what the comparison is, doughnuts win." She said with finality. "Christ, Sirius, use your head!" She said, her tone a mixture of exasperation and disappointment.

"The hell did I say, Moony?…It's always doughnuts!" Sirius said, his face lit with victory as he pointed accusatorially at Remus.

"Bloody hell, I didn't know I was living in a house of people who have the perpetual palettes of pre-adolescents." Remus said with a heavy sigh. Mis turned and looked at Remus with her eyebrows raised.

"Perhaps these pre-mentioned people prefer picking pastries instead of poorly produced breakfast products." Mis said, a satisfied smile curling her lips as she and Sirius shared a nonchalant high five. Remus narrowed his eyes at her.

"I supposed I walked into that." He said grudgingly.

Sirius threw an arm around her shoulders.

"My little smart-ass protégé." He said indulgently, tapping her nose with his finger affectionately. Mis giggled, before remembering that she was pissed off at being dragged from her precious sleep. Her eyes crackled as she swatted at his hand and slid away from his grasp. She pointed a warning finger at Sirius, who seemed to shrink slightly under her fiery eyes. "Listen carefully, Lassie, when that door is closed and I am sleeping I want you to consider this room nonexistent, it is my sanctuary and I will not have it polluted. So unless the house is on fire, or Mr. Darcy himself is outside begging for my hand in marriage… No one. Enters. This. Room." She said in a grim voice, keeping her steady, dark eyes on his grey ones.

Sirius held up both hands in surrender, and backed away slowly as if she were particularly volatile breed of dragon.

"Alright love, don't go getting your knickers in a twist." He said calmly. Mis narrowed her eyes at him before turning to Remus.

"Coffee?" she said hopefully.

"I'll make some." He replied hastily, clearly trying to appease the girl that had been awoken prematurely as he exited the room. Mis turned to Sirius, looking at him mildly.

"So do you intend to watch me get dressed…?" she asked sarcastically.

"Is that an invitation?" He replied smoothly, with an attractive smirk. She bit back the smile that threatened to break through at his flirting.

"Get the hell out, Sirius." She said, allowing a small chuckle to escape along with an eye roll.

"So cruel you are." He said, as she shoved him out the door and closed it with a thud. She paused a moment before peeking out the door again, appraising his mostly naked body with a critical eye. His torso and arms were wiry with a fair bit of lean muscle, his stomach flat. He looked pretty good, she admitted…until she saw his legs. "…go put some pants on, your upper body is fine, but ain't nobody wanna see your chicken legs, man." She said in a 'don't-shoot-the-messenger' tone. He looked offended by her comment, but he could tell she was mostly teasing. "If you want to walk around the house without pants, you better have the common decency to not skip leg day." She added, shutting the door in his face before he could reply.

Mis climbed down the stairs after getting dressed in a green tank and black jeans, there wasn't much she could do with her hair, she'd washed it the night before and then slept on it without drying. It was wavier than usual, but she figured it gave her a nice windblown, beachy quality…at least that's what she told herself. Her make-up was subtle as it often was, brown eye liner, mascara and lips that were tinted red, nothing overt, just enough to make her feel confident. Walking into the kitchen she heard Sirius and Remus bickering about something or another. She turned the corner to see them sitting across from each other. Mis smiled brightly as Remus caught her eye. He looked better than he had yesterday, his posture was straighter and his skin looked brighter with more healthy color. Sirius was still only in boxers, eating a chocolate sprinkled doughnut like it contained salvation.

"Morning, Mis." Remus said, before turning back and concentrating hard on the newspaper in front of him with a pencil in his hand. Mis wondered if the Daily Prophet had a crossword. "Morning." She replied brightly before turning to look at Sirius sternly.

"I thought I told you to put some clothes on." She said impatiently.

"Don't tell me how to live." Sirius replied, his voice muffled through the doughnut he was devouring.

"Idiot." She said, holding in a smile.

"Nag." Sirius retorted.

"Flea bag." She countered, as she walked over to pour herself some of the heavenly smelling coffee from pot on the stove.

"Fascist." He said casually.

"Douchebag."

"Hell spawn."

"Asshat."

"Bitch."

"Dingbat.

"Ok, that's enough." Remus said mildly, biting the end of his pencil thoughtfully as he continued to focus on his crossword puzzle. Sirius glanced at Remus before turning back to Mis and mouthing something that looked like "Fish vagina." She stuck her tongue out at him from behind Remus's back. She didn't know exactly why, but Sirius had a way of bringing out her inner middle-schooler.

Mis sat down next to Remus after retrieving a strawberry doughnut from the pink box on the far end of the table, with her cup of coffee in hand. She took a bite and chased it down with some coffee before clearing her throat.

"So, I've got plans for today, and I'll need both of you to help me. We're going to gut this place." She said, as if she were a general laying out important tactical strategies. "How many rooms in are the house, Sirius?" She asked, looking at him calculatingly.

"Dunno, 'bout 20, I suspect." He replied.

"Jesus, that's a lot." She muttered to herself.

"Ok, we're gonna focus on the kitchen and living areas today. First things first, vanish everything that is even slightly reminiscent of pre-electric London. I'll start on the portraits, and let me know if there's anything magically stuck in place and I'll take care of it." She said, her eyes bright and excited. "Why?" Sirius asked a bit skeptically. Mis smirked, "All in good time, lassie." She said before taking another bite of donut.

After she finished her small breakfast, Mis charged up to Sirius's room, which looked as though several explosives had been set off within it, though she knew she was no one to judge the state of a persons tidiness. She sorted through his dresser for a moment, until she found a pair of jeans that looked moderately clean. She descended the stairs determinedly, and flung them at Sirius.

"Put some pants on." She said impatiently. Sirius looked like a petulant child, muttering something like.

"My house…should be my rules." Still, he did as he was ordered.

"So we're going to go out today…all of us." Mis said. She looked at Sirius and smiled. "We're gonna redecorate this place, cuz, I can't live in this…" She looked around herself, trying to find a bad enough word to describe the house "…travesty of a home." She settled on, though the words seemed too weak to her. Sirius looked rather excited at her words, Remus looked uncertain.

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea for us all to go, someone might recognize him…" Remus said, looking pointedly at Sirius. The grey eyed marauder looked ready to argue but Mis beat him to it.

"Look Remus…" She began, sitting down beside him. "You're a man of logic, right? There are at least 8 million people living in London, that's not including tourists and people who commute, if we say maaaaybe 3000 are wizards…and we assume every wizard is in muggle London today, all with an equal chance of seeing Sirius _and_ recognizing him, the odds that he'll be spotted are almost nonexistent, and that paired with the probability of him being recognized…pfft, not even an issue." She said casually, smacking him on the back bracingly.

Remus narrowed his eyes.

"How do you know the population of the wizarding community?" He asked, genuinely curious. Mis really wasn't in the mood to break the fourth wall and say that she'd heard J.K Rowling talk about it in an interview. She opted to shrug.

"I'm a wealth of useless information, Moonshine, it's one of my many callings." She said mildly, earning a small smile from Remus. A few minutes later, as Mis was laying out her plans for the morning, there was a crisp little tap at the window over the kitchen sink.

Mis went over to investigate and found a snowy owl hovering outside, and was it her imagination or did the owl look a touch irritated? Mis stood on her tip toes to slide the window open as far as she could. Hedwig flew through with a rather thick envelope that she struggled to keep in her beak. Mis took it from her, after she landed on the counter top. The owl gave an agitated hoot.

"I'm sorry, they probably should've sent two owls." Mis said apologetically to Hedwig, who gave her an imperious look.

"Here." Mis said, quickly retrieving a small scrap of plain doughnut from the pink box on the table. "For your troubles." She said, holding out the food in the palm of her hand. Mis didn't know that owls were capable of looking suspicious until that moment. After a carful calculation on the owls part, however, she deemed that the doughnut was an acceptable offering, and gingerly took it from the girl's hand.

"Might I have the envelope, or do you intend to continue being _the owl whisperer?"_ Sirius asked sarcastically.

Mis gave him a dirty look.

"I don't have to be the owl whisperer, Lassie." Mis said with dignity. "She understands what I say…Don't you?" She cooed at the bird, while stroking her snowy white feathers softly with her knuckles, earning Mis a hoot of confirmation and a small affectionate nip.

"She has a literal bird brain, Mis." Sirius said mildly.

"That doesn't stop _you_ from understanding me." She deadpanned, turning to smile at him sweetly. Remus barked a laugh that he tried to cover up as a cough when Sirius glared at him. "Looks like we're going to have to stop by a hospital." Mis said regretfully.

"Hmmm?" Remus asked, falling straight into her comedic trap.

"We need to take Sirius to the BURN UNIT." She taunted, before she caught herself up in little giggling fits.

"I swear, Mis, you make yourself laugh more than anyone I've ever met." Sirius said, shaking his head, but there was a fondness in his voice. Mis nodded thoughtfully still chuckling slightly.

"Blessed is the man who can laugh at himself, for he will never cease to be amused." Remus said wisely, glancing at Mis, whose eyes were sparkling from her laughter. Mis wiped her eyes on the hem of her shirt. Mis heartily agreed with Remus's comment and, she found that life was simply better for the people that didn't take themselves or situations too seriously.

Mis saw humor in nearly everything and she pitied the people who couldn't. In her opinion that was one of the biggest problems in the world, people simply didn't laugh enough.

"Hey Mis, there's something for you too." Sirius said, tossing her a small but thick envelope. Mis furrowed her brows and caught it, quickly tearing it open. Mis's mouth dropped, then broke into a wide grin.

"Dumbledore said for you to consider it your salary." He said holding a small scrap of parchment in his hand. Mis pulled out the British notes and began counting them, feeling like a circa 1930 Edward G Robinson in some ganster flick.

"Didn't know Hogwarts had hazard pay." She said mildly. Remus snorted.

"With all the misfortune that befalls the staff, how could you not know that?" Remus asked through a chuckle.

"Whenever wizards do _anything_ practical it takes me off guard." Mis said with a smirk.

' _This might have been a mistake_.' Mis thought to herself as, for the third time in only 45 minutes, she lost sight of Sirius. Mis had dragged Sirius and Remus into Ikea, promising them that it wouldn't take long, just a trip to the kitchen section for some various kitchen things, and possibly some towels and other boring home goods. She had tried to warn the idiotic animagus that the place was "a goddamn rat maze, and if you get lost you'll be lost forever." Of course, Sirius, being who he was, ignored Mis the moment he spotted the home entertainment section, with it's large TV's and welcoming sofas, and it had only gotten worse from there. She was wandering through the lighting department, pushing a cart through the aisles, muttering under her breath about "the manchild", "simple requests" and "the manchild ignoring simple requests." Remus strolled easily behind her, his hands in his pockets and an amused look on his face.

Mis heard a high giggle, and turned the corner to see Sirius, his hair tied back, wearing faded blue jeans, a grey t shirt, and a leather jacket. He was chatting up a pretty blond girl, who looked to be in her mid twenties.

"Back up, back up." Mis whispered urgently to Remus, who was right behind her. He did as told, and they both quickly hid back around the corner.

"Check this out, Moonshine." Mis said, trying to hold back her laughter. Slowly, they both peeked around the corner. The girl was cute, with long gold hair and a nice smile. Sirius was leaning casually on a shelf full of extension cords, with his arms folded, effortlessly giving out a James Dean vibe.

Mis glanced at Remus, who was smirking in a way that indicated this was a occurrence he could've predicted.

"The way I see it…" Mis whispered to Remus, "We could be good friends, and let him have his fun and possibly get a pretty girl's number…" She hedged, grinning like a cheshire cat. "Or…?" Remus prompted, matching her smile. Mis giggled, the look on Remus's face made him look so much younger, more boyish and mischievous.

"We could have a little fun…" Mis said simply.

Remus would later recount this event to the Order after one too many firewhiskeys, struggling with the story between chuckles. He would say that, at that moment, Mis had the same smile the devil has when he sees someone break a ten commandment. It was a smile that said 'I'm secure in the knowledge that everything is happening precisely the way I want it to, and the universe is in a state of perfect synchronicity.'

"What's the plan?" Remus asked, the boyish smile still in place. Mis resisted the maniacal laughter that threatened to bubble up.

"Hand me a towel from the cart…and find something that looks like a wedding ring…" She said.

After Remus tossed her a pale blue towel from the cart, he started looking through the electrical nuts and bolts area to find something that resembled a wedding ring.

"Ha!" He exclaimed triumphantly, finding a brass washer that was thin enough to look ring-like. He wandered back to Mis, stopping dead as he saw her. She had stuffed the towel under her shirt, making her belly look rounded as if she were pregnant.

"Does it look convincing?" she asked, fluffing it a bit and giving him a profile shot of it. Remus blinked slowly, before nodding his head with a smile on his face. Leave it to Mis to take it a step further than strictly necessary. "Hey, if it's worth doing…its worth overdoing." She said sagely, reading Remus's mind.

"I'm goin' in, come over when I give you the signal." Mis said conspiratorially, she messed up her hair slightly and fixed her face into a mask of righteous anger before charging over to Sirius and the girl. Sirius didn't have time to register confusion as he saw her come into view with her fake swollen belly, nor did he have time to register pain as she slapped him crisply across the face.

"Again?! How could you?!" She exclaimed, earning a shocked gasp from the young woman. Sirius, stared blankly at Mis.

"After my parents kicked me out for being with you? after all that talk about how real love doesn't have an age?" She said, feeling slightly impressed at her own acting abilities which were currently so spot on that she could feel false tears gathering in her eyes. She cradled her belly in her arms.

"What about the baby?" She asked with forlorn intensity, looking up at Sirius. Having heard the code signal, Remus stormed over.

"I knew you'd be here you little home wrecker!" Remus shouted at Mis, causing the latter to turn rapidly in surprise.

"What are you doing here? Stalking us again?! I can't help it that you couldn't keep your man away from me." She spat at Remus.

"Well it looks to me as though you couldn't keep him either, you two quid tramp." He retorted, looking down at her threateningly.

"Don't use any of your mother's pet names on me." She responded hotly, before glaring at Remus as though he were the lowest creature to ever walk on earth. He glared back silently.

Mis turned to look at the woman, who shrank back under her gaze.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know." the poor thing insisted earnestly, looking horribly uncomfortable and ready to bolt. Sirius was gaping in shock, and she would've loved to take a picture of him, forever preserving the complete and total bewilderment on his face.

"Just leave." Mis said with dignity, still clutching her belly. The pretty blonde girl didn't have to be told twice. The moment the words left Mis's mouth the woman high tailed it out of there, disappearing around the corner and into the chandelier section.

When Mis was confident that the woman was far enough away, she turned to Sirius and smiled. The grey eyed marauder looked like he'd just been bludgeoned with a sledge hammer. It took several long moments before the situation began to properly coagulate in his mind, and when it did he slid his jaw in annoyance.

"That…was not kind." Sirius stated firmly. Mis chuckled smugly, pulling the towel out from her shirt.

"You're right." she confirmed brightly.

Sirius turned to Remus.

"Et tu, Brute?" He said accusatorially, pointing a finger of condemnation at him. Remus laughed.

"It was her idea." he said waving both hands in her direction as if that would waft Sirius's righteous anger towards her and away from himself.

"Now…" Mis started, still smirking in self satisfaction. "I think we've all learned an important lesson here…haven't we Sirius?" She asked him in the way a teacher would a naughty pupil.

"There's no lesson here, you're just a harbinger of senseless destruction." He said intensely. Mis considered him for a moment before swaggering over to stand directly in front of him.

"That _is_ the lesson." Mis said, punctuating each word with a tap on his nose. Mis winked at him before leaving him gaping and going back to the abandoned cart to nonchalantly continue shopping. "This means war, Mis! I won't forget this injustice!" Sirius shouted dramatically. "Bring in on, Lassie." She retorted over her shoulder

"How much bloody longer?!" Sirius whined, throwing his head back in despair. Mis and Remus were both examining color swatches in the hardware and home goods store that had been their next stop after Ikea. They both turned to shoot Sirius identical looks of annoyance.

"You remember I was in the Underworld, yes?… Well, I submit that _this_ is the true hell." Sirius said with conviction. Mis snorted at his theatrics, and Remus opted to roll his eyes. They both turned back to the swatches in Mis' hand.

"You know, even being a male dog, you certainly do a lot of bitching." Mis said mildly, her back turned to him.

"The bitch insult was clever the first time you said it, but somewhere around the 50th repeat, it lost some of it's zest." Sirius retorted with dignity.

"Do you hear that, Remus? I could've sworn I heard a bitch barking…strange." She said, smirking.

For the hundredth time she held up the two colors she and Remus were comparing. The first was a lavender and the other a periwinkle.

"What is the bloody difference?!" Sirius asked in exasperation.

"I don't care to explain this to you again, Sirius. The color of a room can be the difference between serenity and chaos." Remus supplied blandly, earning a chuckle from Mis. Although this project of hers would be considered arbitrary by some, she felt it to be of the upmost importance. She wanted Sirius to have an actual home, a place were he could be happy and comfortable. She hoped that she could make one for him, Remus and Harry. She wanted them to have a place that they could live in, where they could be a family. She wanted them to be able to divided house chores among themselves, she wanted them to be able to sing in the shower, she wanted them to be able to argue about what to eat for dinner. To her, she wasn't decorating a house, she was building a haven.

"It's always the little things, Sirius." She agreed with Remus brightly. Sirius huffed once again.

"I think Lavender Fields…It goes better with the Antique Lace." Remus said finally, holding the off white color up against it.

"Yeah, I think you're right." Mis said nodding.

"But that's so girlie!" Sirius whined, looking over Mis and Remus's shoulders.

" _It's gender neutral!_ " Remus and Mis exclaimed at the same moment. Sirius scoffed. "Anyway, it's only going to be an accent wall." Remus said, putting back the other swatches while Mis went to the counter for the paint to be mixed.

"Fine, fine. I just have one final question." Sirius said, causing Mis and Remus to turn to him curiously. "When do you two expect your cycles to line up?" He asked mildly. Mis snorted and rolled her eyes.

Mis was enjoying herself sitting on the floor in the bare living room. It seemed bigger without all the ornate furniture, desks, and odds and ends cluttering the place up. She had a paint roller sitting in a tray next to her. After tearing off that awful dirt crusted wall paper, she had cleaned the walls and was just now preparing to paint the room. The three of them had traversed the greater London area for various home goods, and although Mis had been exhausted by a quarter after 4, she had pressed on. They had found simple but well-made furnishing, which currently were vanished and out of site along with the old things. Wonderfully enough, the kitchen had electricity, something Mis had not anticipated but was certainly ecstatic about as it meant she wouldn't have to call and have someone come and wire the place. With a bit of rearranging she and Sirius had found a place for a nice stainless steel stove and matching refrigerator, and after calling the electric company the place was, at least partially, out of the dark ages. Sirius was currently enchanted with the afore mentioned appliances and Mis, instead of nagging him to help her paint (as she probably should have), she let him get the fascination out of his system. Remus had been helping her with the wall paper and was currently in the process of disposing of it while Mis took a breather.

She was just thinking of how much it was going to be a bitch to get to the top of the ten foot high walls when she heard a high pitched scream, coming from the direction of the kitchen. Driven forward by instinct, she jumped up and ran down the hall and turned the corner. Sirius was standing on top of the bench with one leg bent up almost to his chest.

"What?!" Mis shouted at him, scanning the room for the source of the danger.

"Snake!" Sirius shouted, his eyes wide with horror. Remus came running a moment later, leaning on the door, slightly out of breath.

"What is it?!" He exclaimed, looking at Sirius. Mis huffed out an annoyed breath, and crossed her arms.

"Nothing, Remus. Sirius is just acting like a little bitch." She said blandly, before calmly walking around table to see a thin, 3 foot garden snake, coiled up on itself.

"Don't touch it! It could be poisonous." Sirius said hectically, clearly torn between keeping his safe perch and shaking the girl that, to his reasoning, had a death wish.

"There aren't any venomous snakes in the UK." She scoffed, crouching down on one knee, to consider the animal. "Did Lassie scare you, honey?" She cooed to the snake as she placed her hands on the floor next to it in invitation.

"Are you crazy?!" Sirius demanded.

"Probably." She deadpanned. "We had diamond backs living in our back yard one time back home, baby ones. Only time my dad ever spanked me was when I went out to see them. I even picked one up…Its a goddamn miracle I've made it to 17." She muttered to herself.

The snake unfurled slightly, flicking its tongue out curiously, tasting the air. Its small brownish green head considered her hand for a moment before slithering onto it cautiously.

"Poor thing, she's cold." Mis said, allowing the snake to grow accustomed to her hand. Mis wasn't over fond of snakes, but she had always loved animals and they liked her too. Her mom told her it was because animals could always sense gentleness in a person and, although Mis never really considered herself gentle, she supposed that she must be in some capacity.

"Merlins sake Mis, take it outside." Sirius exclaimed. Mis shot him a dirty look.

"Chill, man. She's not gonna hurt anyone." She said, rising smoothly from her kneeling position.

The snake hissed gently as she cradled it.

"I don't speak snake." She replied to it kindly, as if to a human. It wove through her fingers slowly, and looked up at her with its black dew drop eyes curiously. Mis smiled because she knew she had been hooked. She'd had several pets in her life, a turtle, two hamsters, a guinea pig, three fish, a cat, and a tarantula. All had lived happy lives being doted on by Mis, and she taken all their deaths with great difficulty. Tulip, her tarantula, had passed only a few months ago. Tulip came to her untimely (and rather tragic end) as Mis was cleaning her terrarium. Mis had made the mistake of cleaning it out of doors, with Tulip perched on her shoulder. Some bird, a vicious and evil rat with wings, had plucked Tulip like a ripe berry right off of Mis' body. Tulip's remains was never recovered. Mis had held services at sunset. Her family certainly hadn't shed any tears over the loss, they had hated Tulip.

After the death, Mis decided she could no longer take the pain of being a pet owner and resolved to never own another one. Unfortunately for Mis, and humanity in general, _Men plan and God laughs._ Mis sighed.

"Well, I have no choice…" She said somberly, looking at the brownish green head of her new companion. "I'm keeping her." Mis said with a decisive nod of her head.

"You most certainly are not!" Sirius insisted, scrambling off the table bench and taking a few strides over to Mis. He gave her a wide birth as he gave her a horrified look.

"She's harmless, Sirius. Come here, hold her for a second and tell me she isn't the sweetest little serpent you've ever seen." She said, her voice descending into baby talk.

"Like hell I'll hold that thing." Sirius said in disgust. The snake coiled tighter around Mis' hand and wrist.

"I think you're pissing her off, Sirius." Mis said lightly, as the snake gripped her with its head held and ready to spring towards Sirius.

"I think you should apologize." Remus said with a smirk, walking next to Mis to consider the animal.

"She'll need a name." Remus said fondly before holding out his hand.

"May I?" He asked. Mis smiled warmly, glad that Remus seemed to like her new pet. Mis held out her hand and wrist, the snake looked a little uncertain about leaving Mis. After a moment of consideration the snake unwound from Mis's hand and slithered on to Remus's, keeping a bit of her tail curled Mis's pinky.

"Has the world gone mad?" Sirius asked with a long-suffering sigh.

"Hasn't it always been?" Mis asked Sirius wistfully. "I think I'll name her…" Mis said, looking hard at the snake that was exploring Remus's hand. "Peaches." Mis said with finality, "Is that, Ok, Peaches?" She asked the snake. Mis learned at that moment that snakes, in fact, do have facial expressions, and the expression on the snakes face seemed to indicate annoyed acquiescence. Peaches slithered back into Mis's hand, wrapping around it once again.

Shortly thereafter, Mis found a suitable home in the form of a glass tank previously occupied by a rather disturbing collection of what might have been severed appendages. She set it on the windowsill over the sink to allow her new cold blooded friend to soak in the late afternoon sun.

"What does it eat?" asked Sirius, clearly nervous about having a snake in the house.

"Hopefully I can train her to feast on the flesh of my enemies." Mis deadpanned, before smiling fondly at the glass tank near the window. Sirius mock laughed.

"So funny, I can hardly breathe for laughing." He said sarcastically.

"She's like barely three feet long, and about the diameter of a freakin' pencil, Sirius. The most gruesome thing she's capable of eating is frozen baby mice." Mis said in slight annoyance at his overacting.

"Anyway, quite jerkin' around and get back to work. At this rate, the house will be a ruin before we're done." She said, clapping her hand crisply. Sirius huffed.

"You're so domineering." He said under his breath.

"Silence, peasant." She said offhandedly, taking one final look at Peaches before stepping back to continue her painting.

Mis, Sirius and Remus were sitting in the living room. The only things currently in it were several cushions from the old sofas, and a coffee table. Remus sat on the floor, reading quietly and sipping from a steaming mug. Mis had her hair pulled away from her face in a messy knot, with her clothes swiped with paint. Sirius was laying down, charming various objects into dancing to some generic techno beat, with one hand supporting his head and his legs stretched out with a foot thrown over Mis's thigh as she sat in front of the coffee table and planned out the various room design ideas that she had yet to start.

"What would I have to do to get a foot massage?" Sirius hedged, giving Mis a quick glance.

"Are you in pain?" She asked, not looking up at him.

"Well, I certainly feel world weary." Sirius answered with a pitiful sigh.

"Lassie, there are only two reasons why I do anything." She said in a business tone, still focusing on the room layouts before her. "I do something if I want to do it, or if I'm getting payed to do it, there's no in-between." She said casually, not really engaging in the conversation.

"What's your price?" Sirius asked, poking her in the ribs with his big toe. Mis looked over at him with a bored expression.

"You're the one who wants a service, figure out something that I want." She said crisply, before turning back to her writing.

"I'll cook dinner." Sirius said. Remus chuckled.

"That sounds more like a punishment." He said wryly, making Mis point to him wordlessly in affirmation.

"I'll give _you_ a foot rub." Sirius said.

"No thanks, don't like em." Mis replied.

"I'll get you a new dress." Sirius said. Mis turned and gave him a level look.

"Oh, yes give the little girl a pretty new dress, how about some ribbons for my hair as well, and freaking toaster for the little woman." Mis replied sarcastically. Remus chuckled.

"You're losing her, Padfoot." he said warningly. Sirius snapped his fingers as an idea occurred to him.

"Books?" He said slyly. Mis raised her eyebrows and turned to him slowly.

"…I'm listening." She said.

"First thing tomorrow, we can go to a bookshop…You can get as many of those pornographic novels as you want." He said with a smirk. Remus choked on his tea. Mis gave a dignified sniff.

"They are not pornographic, Sirius, it's _erotica_ and it's a legitimate art form." She said imperiously, not entirely sure why she was defending her trashy novels…they basically _were_ porn.

"Yeah, ok." He said with an eye roll and a chuckle. Mis smirked, then gave up and started giggling. She set down her pencil, turned her body to face Sirius and patted her lap for his feet.

"I accept your offer." She said.

"See Remus? She's a bloody deviant." He said smugly.

"I am not." Mis said absently as she rubbed her hands together, trying to warm them up a bit. "It's a perfectly healthy way to express my sexuality, Sirius, and I don't see why women have to hide their enjoyment of sexuality while men can joke about jerking off 24/7." She said calmly, taking his right foot in her newly warmed hands and kneading the sole with her thumbs.

"I resent that." said Remus blandly, taking a sip of tea and turning the page of his book.

"I didn't mean you, Moonshine…You're _actually_ a gentleman." She said, looking pointedly at Sirius, who was currently too busy enjoying the foot massage to be offended.

"The lady who catches you will be a lucky one." She said slyly, giving Remus a quick glance from the corner of her eye. He shook his head sadly. "I bet…" Mis continued, trying to sound innocent. "You'd be good with a Hufflepuff." She said lightly. Remus choked on his tea again, and Mis had to resist the urge to whistle in some attempt to appear casual.

"Isn't Tonks a Hufflepuff?" Sirius asked, totally oblivious. Mis jabbed a little harder than necessary at his heal, making him wince in pain and look at her in irritation. She looked back at him with pinched lips and annoyance in her eyes. He gave her a blank, confused stare.

"Really? I didn't know that…" Mis said, doing her best to sound convincing, while glaring at Sirius. Remus looked at Mis with suspicion narrowing his amber eyes. She ignored him and continued tending to Sirius's feet.

"Hey, Moony. You should go out with Tonks!" Sirius said, voicing his sudden epiphany thoughtlessly. Mis closed her eyes slowly, and gritted her teeth. Sirius had all the subtly of a goddamn sledge hammer.

"Don't be ridiculous, Padfoot. She's too young for me." Remus replied, trying but ultimately failing at making his voice sound casual.

"Said no sane man ever." Sirius remarked with a snort. "Besides, she likes you, and she isn't that young." Sirius continued, shrugging his shoulders. "I mean, Remus, it's not like you're Gary Pucket." Sirius said with a chuckle. Mis turned slowly to fix Sirius with a hard stare, and threw his feet off of her lap.

"You know what, Sirius? Gary Pucket was the victim in the song _Young Girl_ , that man was trying to be honorable, he thought she was _old enough to give him love,_ and when he found out she was too young he was _hurt to know the truth_." Mis said passionately, pointing at him threateningly. Sirius looked a bit startled at her outburst, before raising his eyebrows wryly. "He was trying to get her _out of his mind_ , but she always had that _come on look in her eyes_. He recognizes that his love for her was _way outta line_ , she wouldn't leave the poor guy alone. So how can you blame Gary? He was her prey!" She exclaimed, throwing her arms up in exasperation before crossing them stubbornly and setting her face into a scowl.

Several moments of silence followed her monologue, Mis ignored it and opted to stew in her opinionated silence. Sirius cleared his throat.

"Not really the point, Mis, but I admire your intensity towards Gary Pucket, as I do consider it somewhat of a commodity." Sirius said mildly, his eyes smirking.

"Don't trivialize this, Sirius." Mis said with dignity, lifting up her chin with pride.

"Wouldn't dream of it." Sirius said quickly, raising his hands in surrender.

"Sorry, but I've been a bit lost since "Gary Pucket"." Remus admitted, his tone a mixture of confusion and amusement.

"I digress." Mis said, shaking her head impatiently. "I just think it would be good for you to try and open up your options, right Sirius?" She said, giving up on the idea a subtlety, it was impossible with Sirius in the room anyway.

"Absolutely." Sirius agreed heartily, putting his feet back on Mis' lap. Mis rolled her eyes but undertook the tending of Sirius's feet once again.

"I won't lie and say it hasn't crossed my mind." Remus said heavily, fretfully combing his fingers through his sandy hair. "I just don't think she understands what it would be like to be in a relationship with someone like me." He said softly.

" _Someone like me"? What the hell is that supposed to mean, Remus?!_ Mis didn't know exactly what it was, but whenever Remus said anything remotely self deprecating, she felt as though lightning was charging in her heart. It felt like something fierce and reckless. She wanted to burn away every self loathing thought from his mind the same way lightning strikes and sets fire to a sickly, overgrown forest. She wanted to plant new thoughts in his mind, she wanted to show him his worth, but she didn't know how. Her first instinct was to rage at him, to yell and scream and beat the truth into him, but for once in her impulsive life, she listened to the gentle, still voice inside her head.

"Remus." She said softly, turning to look at him. "Don't say things like that… not in my presence. I know how wonderful you are, and it hurts me to see that _you_ don't know how wonderful you are." She said, her voice was calm but there was something visceral in her eyes. Remus's met her stare and Mis could see she had struck a cord. "You are kind and gentle. You give to others, never thinking about what it'll cost you and I…I wish I could be more like that.…more like you." She said, her voice cracking. She wasn't ashamed of the tears that welled up in her eyes, she wanted Remus to see them and understand…just understand how good he was.

Remus looked at Mis. Her face was so opened, her eyes wide and gentle, like she was trying, with every fiber of her being, to thrust the love she had out onto him. The look she had, promised shelter from cruelty and indifference. The acceptance in her eyes sliced through his heart and, for once, he knew it was a scar that he wanted. It was like a cut that drains an infected wound. He'd seen that same look in Tonk's eyes, but he had doubted it, knowing, from life experience, that it was probably only wishful thinking on his part. It was a phantom look, he had reasoned, brought about by nothing more that pity and well meaning compassion.

"I don't want to push you, Remus…Just promise me you'll think about it." Mis said gently, giving him a teary smile. Remus pinched his lips and nodded once, afraid that if he spoke, his voice would shake and his eyes would well up. It was strange, Remus thought, that Mis could feel so simultaneously familiar and foreign. One part of him felt like he had always known her, like she had always been there for him…for all of them. It was like her eyes had always been watching them. Yet, another part of him couldn't shake the feeling that she was so out of place, as if the very atoms that coalesced to form her were simply different. Remus couldn't know how right he was. She had known them all since she was a child and she they had been special to her for most of her life, and she was from another world, with a different reality.

Mis wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. Now that the moment had dissipated, she couldn't help but curse her own rapid mood changes. She was a master of her emotions in the presence of most people, and could easily ignore them or choke them down so as not to show her cards. When she was with people she loved, however, she found that skill was almost entirely absent and each thought or feeling that passed through her ever switching mind shown like a red banner on a snowy hill.

"Give it up, Sirius. You're not making it out of this one alive." Mis said in a bored voice. Sirius had, in a fit a boredom, challenged Mis to a game of chess. The poor bastard couldn't have known she played at least five games every weekend with her dad since she was old enough to say "checkmate." Despite the fact that she had never been sorted, she was about 98% sure she was a Slytherin and she had made that knowledge know to anyone who would listen. So maybe he technically couldn't've known she was practically a master, he certainly should've known she be kickass at chess.

"If I'm going down I'm taking you with me." He said, squinting at the bored as if trying to decode the mysteries of the game he was losing. His eyes brightened, as he moved a rook and took her white bishop with a triumphant guffaw. Mis smirked.

"I cannot believe you fell for the bait." She said, tsking softly, moving her queen in position where the rook had been moments before. "Check…bitch." She said smugly.

"Fuck." Sirius muttered under his breath in the universally recognizable tone of a person who just realized they had screwed themselves.

Sirius being the Gryffindor he was, immediately saw a way to take her queen. Mis' eyes glittered as the fool moved his bishop to take it.

"Ha! I'll see you in hell." He exclaimed triumphantly, snatching the queen and tangling it in front of her.

"Not if I see you first." she said in a singsong voice, moving her rook to the last row where his king was foolishly blocked in. She looked up at him with false pity. "Checkmate." She said smugly with her eyebrows raised in wry amusement.

Sirius narrowed his eyes at the board, hectically searching for a loophole in her declaration. She let him flounder a minute.

"This is chess, man, not a nerf gun battle, you gotta think at least 3 moves ahead." She said with an indelicate snort. "Now go on and tip over your king. I've defeated you and I like to see my enemies crumble." She continued imperiously, waving her hand airily for him to move it along. Sirius sighed and knocked over his king. "Yeah! That's right, I'm the baddest bitch and you're the saddest bitch. Tremble before my magnificence, oh puny mortal!" She exclaimed, jumping up from her seat to do a spastic victory dance. "See this?" She asked Sirius, she said pointing to herself as she attempted to moonwalk. "This is me dancing on the ivory bones of your soldiers." She said with glee.

"So I supposed the phrase 'humble in victory and gracious in defeat' isn't a part of your vernacular?" Remus asked mildly, looking at her wryly as he entered the kitchen.

"Oh, it's a part of my vernacular, just not a part of my philosophy." She informed him happily.

"I demand a rematch." Sirius stated intensely, scrutinizing her closely with his grey eyes sharp. He dropped the intensity and looked at her in confusion a moment later.

"Also, what's a nerf gun battle?" he asked curiously. A slow smiled spread across the girls face.

"Well, I know what we're doing tonight…" She said, grinning at Sirius and Remus. After knowing Mis for a while, the two marauders had learned how to decode Mis' various smiles. The one currently curling her lips was the one that seemed to indicate that mischievous activities were imminent.

Mis ran down the slightly dim hall of Grimmauld place and darted into the sitting room. She side stepped to the right of the entrance, her back against the wall, clutching the stupid cherry red nerf gun to her heaving chest. She couldn't hear Sirius's footprints anymore, he had been chasing her a second ago after she had attempted a sneak attack in the kitchen. The kitchen, it had been agreed, would be the "safe zone", meaning no shooting, chasing or threatening. Mis, being the Slytherin she was, decided it would be prime spot for retribution after having lost the previous three nerf battles to Sirius.

She would've succeed too if Remus hadn't been a turncoat. The bastard went and warned Sirius of her plans.

"You weren't even playing, Remus!" Mis shouted, not caring that she had given away her position. She heard a soft chuckle coming from the stairs. "I couldn't let my oldest friend be subjected to such devious tactics, Mis." Remus shouted back.

"Out of curiosity, where was that loyalty when she cock-blocked me at the furniture store, Remus?" Came Sirius's voice from the room joined to the one Mis was currently in.

"My involvement in Mis' schemes are directly correlated to how amusing I find them…The funnier the plan, the less is my loyalty towards you. I'll make you a graph if you like." Remus replied, loud enough for his voice to carry, Mis could hear the amusement in his voice. She smirked.

"Duly noted, Remus." She shouted with a chuckle.

Mis heard footprints on the other side of the wall, she smirked. Sirius was trying to be sneaky, but he couldn't hide the sound of his size thirteen clodhoppers if his life depended on it.

She let out a soft giggle, before cursing herself and clapping a hand over her mouth.

"I heard that." Sirius taunted from the other side of the wall. "Why don't you come out and face me, love?…I won't bite." He said sweetly.

"…Said the rabid dog." Mis finished under her breath.

Mis knew she was trapped, if she were to attempt a getaway she knew her footsteps would be too loud and Sirius would dart around the corner and shoot her in the back. There was only one way for her to have a chance, she would have to pull a Gryffindor and charge. Loathed she was to admitted it, Sirius was much better at this than she. She couldn't win, so she would do the next best thing…go down in a blaze of glory. She huffed, cocked the plastic gun with grim intensity, and jumped out into the hall with her trigger finger already firing. She let out a battle cry as the darts flew through the air. Unfortunately for Mis, Sirius had anticipated her attack and was lightly dodging each hectic bullet as it flew. She didn't hit her mark and, all too soon, her ammo was gone.

Mis fired one last time, and heard the telltale click of an empty gun. Sirius grinned wolfishly as he raised his own purple gun four feet from her face. Mis raised her head proudly and tossed her cherry red gun to the floor, somehow making the surrender look defiant.

"Thus was the defeat of Artemis Holtzer." Remus said, walking down the stairs regally. He stood to the side of Sirius with his hand on his heart, clearly enjoying his part as narrator a little too much. "Brazenly glaring down the barrel of oblivion! Unflinching in the face of her own demise!" Remus said proudly, his fist clenched out before him. "Ages hence, this story will be told; a timeless chronicle of the human condition, a memoir displaying the endless cycle of victory and defeat…"

"Can we move this along, Moonshine?" Mis sighed, rubbing her temple.

"Quiet, Mis. He's having a moment." Sirius reprimanded, his gun still at the ready. "Go on." Sirius said to his friend. Remus gave Mis a smug look.

"Fret not, I shall be the orator of this grand tale, Mis. The world will know of your last stand." Remus said dramatically, bowing his head and motioning with his hand for Sirius to shoot.

The stupid yellow-foam dart sang through the air and the little purple suction cup found purchase in the center of Mis's forehead. Never one to pass up a performance opportunity, Mis screwed her face up into a mask of pain before dropping to the floor with a solid thump.

"Goodnight, sweet princess. Flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." Remus said, his voice doing a remarkable job of passing as forlorn. Mis reached her hand out, causing Sirius to run to her side and fall to his knees. He grabbed her hand with both of his own, his grey eyes wide and gleaming with stage tears.

"Scatter my ashes in the the Colorado River at the base of the Grand Canyon. You'll probably need to rent a mule or something to get you down there." She said in a weak voice, gripping Sirius's hands desperately.

"I would, Mis, but unfortunately…YOU LOST!" Sirius said victoriously, jumping up and pointing at her. "Who's the saddest bitch, now?!" He demanded, his arms open, basking in his triumph.

Mis didn't have time to come up with a clever retort, as there was a crisp knock at the front door. She decided to lay on the hard wood floor in miserable defeat as Sirius dropped his stance and nonchalantly stepped over Mis's sprawled body. Sirius walked peppily to the door, and opened it. Several moments of a curious silence followed, before Mis heard a familiar and singularly disdainful voice.

"Where's Holtzer?" Snape asked, and although Mis was still busy playing dead she felt a happy little skip in her heart.

"What do you want with her?" Sirius asked suspiciously.

"Fuck off, mutt. These are grown up matters, so why don't you take yourself for a walk, and let me through?" Snape replied blandly, mixing a bit of acid into his tone.

"I want you and your beak nose off my goddamn stoop!" Sirius shouted. Mis smirked and rested the crook of her arm over her eyes half in amusement and half in frustration. She couldn't hear what Snape replied several notches louder as Remus leant over at the waist to look down at her. Mis peeked up at him through her arm.

"You should probably do something." He said, before plucking the dart off her forehead with a pop.

"I don't want to deal with them either!" Mis said, appalled that she was the automatic diffuser of the Snape/Sirius cycle of conniptions. "Why do _I_ have to stop them?" Mis whined, Sirius and Snape's voices buzzing over each other like a hive of bees and hornets.

"Because _you_ can't get hexed." Remus explain as if it were obvious. Remus offered her a hand up off the floor which she took before dusting herself off briskly. Mis shot Remus a glare, causing the werewolf to smile innocuously and wave the backs of both his hands at her as if telling her not to tarry.

"Go to hell, Remus." Mis deadpanned, turning her back ready to take care of the problem at hand.

"Not really a threat, Mis. You'd come after me." He replied brightly. Mis chuckled, ' _Cocky bastard_ ' she thought absently.

Mis sighed as she walked over, fixing her face into a stern mask.

"Sirius!" she barked "Let Snape in." She ordered curtly. Sirius looked appalled that she had attacked him first.

"He started it!" Sirius blustered.

"I don't care who started it." She said, briefly thinking she sounded remarkably like her mother. Sirius harrumphed like a twelve year old and gave Snape one final glare before stepping aside and allowing a smug looking Snape through.

"…and you…" She said pointed at Snape warningly before he walked in. "Quit being an ass." she said sternly, keeping a threatening pose for a few moments before her face broke into a wide smile.

"Come on in, I made muffins." She said happily, grabbing Snape's forearm. She led him down the hall into the kitchen with Sirius and Remus following, the former looking immensely agitated, and the latter no doubt praying for some modicum of civility.

"Sit." Mis ordered brightly, pointing to the bench at the long table. Snape sighed, and Mis was pleased to find he was learning to pick his battles with her. He sat down stiffly, and Sirius and Remus took the bench across from him.

"What kind of tea would you like, Snape?" She asked him, while placing some blueberry and chocolate chip muffins on a large plate.

"I don't trust tea made by Americans." He said disdainfully, and although her back was to him she could feel the mild look in his black eyes.

"Well I apologize if we Americans aren't adept tea makers, but you see we're still bitter about the whole "taxing our tea" thing, so I guess we don't put enough effort into it anymore." Mis replied tartly, reaching up to retrieve some green tea off of the shelf over the stove.

"It's been over 200 goddamned years, don't you think that's a bit excessive in the grudge holding department?" Snape retorted in exasperation.

"Call us in another 200, maybe then we can let bygones be bygones." She said with a snort.

Mis bustled around the kitchen, placing dishes and napkins on the table for the muffins, followed by milk, sugar and honey for the tea. Other than her soft clattering, the room was devoid of sound and when she chanced a look at the table she saw that Snape and Sirius were locked in a glare war of epic proportions. Remus, bless him, was looking awkward and Mis could see him struggling to come up with something to break the angry aura that seemed to cover Sirius and Snape like a blanket of black fog.

" _Hello, darkness my old friend…I've come to talk with you again."_ Mis sang softly as she poured the steaming tea into four mugs. " _Because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping, and the vision that was planted in my brain…still remains…"_ She continued softly, smiling to herself. " _Within the sound…"_ She placed the four mugs on the table. "… _Of silence."_ She finished while sliding the tea to each man. They stared at her, she maintained a look of casual interest. The silence continued, but at least she caught Remus smiling out of the corner of her eye. Mis added some honey to her tea and took a cautious sip.

"Anyhoo…" Mis said brightly, "What brings you, Snape?" She asked, sliding a chocolate chip muffin over to Sirius, and a blueberry one each to Snape and Remus.

Snape stirred some milk into his tea, before twisting the muffin cap off and discarding the stump. Mis raised her eyebrows at him in partial annoyance at his pickiness, but decided not to comment.

"Narcissa Malfoy has sent you a package and a letter." Snape said his tone bored as he took a bite of muffin and chased it down with a sip of tea.

"And what the hell is it?!" Sirius shouted, rather predictably Mis thought.

"Unlike some people, I happen to respect others privacy _and_ boundaries." Snape said mildly. Mis snorted into her tea, 'Snape has him on that one.' she thought to herself.

"That's a laugh." Sirius spit back while crossing his arms. "I distinctly remember you constantly putting your nose where it didn't belong." He continued, an arrogant smirk curling his lips. Mis cringed, that was a low blow…it was a good one, but damn.

"Say that again! I dare you." Snape shouted rising from his feet, and quick as lightning, had his wand drawn and pointed straight at Sirius's forehead. Sirius didn't hesitate, he jumped from his seat too, and leaned on the table towards Snape's wand. She could see that Sirius was going to say something stupid, and cause Snape to hex him into next week. She had to derail this situation fast. Mis cleared her throat pointedly.

"Well, I for one, find all this lust fueled rage quite a turn on. Nothing like watching challenging displays of testosterone to get the libido going." She said to Sirius and Snape mildly. "Perhaps we should leave, Moonshine, I sense a round of angry sex coming on." She continued, taking a nonchalant sip of tea. She smirked up at them and wagged her finger. "But don't forget boys, wrap it before you tap it." She said in light warning.

She reveled in the beautiful shocked silence that followed her statements. She smiled, feeling immensely satisfied that they were no longer looking at each other with murder in their eyes. All of their hate was now focused on Mis, and she basked in their loathing. Mis saw Remus bow his head, and she watched in glee as his shoulders started shaking with silent hilarity. He was trying to stifle it, but perhaps he was unaware of the unspoken rule of laughter: The harder you try to stop laughing, the harder it gets to actually stop.

"I nearly forgot what it felt like to wish death, pestilence and famine upon you." Snape said in a voice that would make milk go sour. Snape stowed away his wand and sat back down, clearly unwilling to pick any more fights with Sirius if it meant Mis would continue to spout her horrifying comments.

"Awww, I missed you too." Mis replied happily, patting his hand affectionately. She looked over at Sirius. "Sit down, Sirius." She said, gentle but firm. Remus gave a loud snort, still trying to avoid laughing for fear of being cursed. Sirius sat down, and turned slowly to fix Remus with a glare. The longer Remus laughed, the more pissed Sirius began to look. Sirius hit Remus's shoulder with the back of his hand. Remus tried to hit him back, but his streaming eyes kept his depth perception faulty, so he just waved Sirius off instead of seeking retribution.

Mis smirked, and left Sirius to his pouting and Remus to his silent laughter. She turned to look at Snape who had conjured a rather large rectangular package and an envelope on the table in front of her. She raised her eyebrows, and glanced at Snape who waved his hand in a motion that indicated for her get on with it. She picked up the envelope. It was made of thick ridged paper, slightly off white, with a red wax seal. She opened it carefully, not wanting to destroy the pretty stationary, and unfolded the letter in side.

Not wanting Sirius to pop a blood vessel, she read it aloud.

" _Dear Mis,_

 _I was thrilled to discover that you had accepted my invitation. I'm sure you must be busy, but I would like you to know how much I appreciate your attendance. Of course, Draco is positively beside himself with excitement as well and, just between us, he speaks of little else. I hope you won't think me forward, but I have taken the liberty of supplying you with the proper attire for the evening. It is one of my own designs, but please do not hesitate to tell me if it is not to your tastes._

 _Warm Regards,_

 _Narcissa_

 _P.S._

 _Draco seems a bit anxious to see you in it."_

Mis breathed out.

"Holy Christ on the Cross." She said, holding the note in her hand limply. She felt a bit of shock and no small amount of confusion at the letter. "She made me a dress?" Mis asked to the room at large, narrowing her eyes skeptically.

"Apparently." Answered Snape blandly.

"Mis, the suspense is killing me, for Merlin's sake open the package." Sirius said, his tone impatient. Mis nodded distantly and set down the letter. She ripped open the brown package to reveal a beautiful teal box decorated with simple black roses.

She gasped as she removed the top, gingerly swished the dress from its confines, and stood up holding it by the shoulders to see it properly. It was the color of bright steel, and made of a thin, breezy fabric. It had 3/4 length sleeves that flowed gently and had a slit that would expose most of her arms. The waist was cinched with an intricate green embroidery that looked like vines wrapping around the middle and up between the bust, lining the scooped neck.

"I can't wear this, I'll spill something on it. I shouldn't be let around pretty things, I can't be trusted!" She said, horrified of the possible ways in which she could destroy such a lovely garment. She looked at Snape with wide eyes.

"Quit being dramatic." He said with an eye roll. She raised her eyebrows and cocked her head to one side.

"I'm sorry, but did _you_ justtell _me_ to quite being dramatic?! When every goddamn motion you make is a performance piece?!" She quipped tensely.

"It's quite pretty." Sirius interjected, seemingly torn between wanting to be supportive and also wanting to burn anything that was given to Mis by the Malfoys. Mis let out a breath, up until this point, Mis had seen the party as only a theory, something that would never actually happen. It's not that she was afraid to attend, nothing could be farther from the truth. She wanted to go and feel out the Malfoys, she wanted to try and discern whether or not they would be willing to break ties with Snake Face. Mis felt a jolt in her stomach as she realized the party in question was only a week away. She wasn't worried of being hurt, Peggy had trained her well and she had become confident in her ability to protect herself, though she still had much to learn, she knew she was competent with her knives. The thing that caused her heart rate to increase, however, was the thought of failing to bring in the Malfoys.

She didn't know what in the hell she was doing, how was she supposed to approach them? What if they were unwilling to put their lives in the Order's hands, in her hands? What would she do in that case? And what about… him _?_ Mis huffed in annoyance at herself, _Great, now I'm panicking_ she thought, trying to distance herself from her body's reaction. Mis looked at Snape, and he could see her inner turmoil.

"Don't you give me that look, this is your bloody fault." He said warningly, apparently he was capable of reading her mind without ligilimancy.

"Why didn't you stop me from being an idiot?!" She demanded loudly, rolling the dress up roughly and stuffing it back into the box. Sirius and Remus both jumped, looks of confusion on their faces, clearly having difficulty following the conversation between Mis and Snape.

"No one can stop you from being an idiot, Holtzer! I doubt even an act of god could stop you once you get an idea in that circus you call a brain." Snape spat back, and Mis could practically see steam evaporating off his head. Panic was flickering in the Mis's dark eyes as she stood frozen in the kitchen.

"For fuckssake, you could've done _something!_ Locked me in cell, gagged me, chained me up!" She shouted at Snape, her arms flailing and her face going red, with a slightly hysterical tint emerging in her eyes.

"Kinky." Remus commented mildly. Sirius choked on his muffin and Snape's lip twitched. Mis turned slowly to look at Remus, looking a bit unhinged.

"That's _my_ line." She said, her voice calm and dangerous. Remus bit his lip and furrowed his brows to keep from smiling.

"Oh?" He said innocently. Mis took a long, hard look at him. At that moment she had never had such conflicting reactions brewing in her system. The only emotion should've been rage that Remus wasn't taking her panic seriously, but instead she also felt a wry appreciation and a bit of gratefulness. Her heart rate calmed, and Mis sat back down heavily keeping her eyes on Remus.

"Thanks, Moonshine." She said genuinely. "But don't use my own tactics against me again." She deadpanned, before her face broke into a small smile.

Snape having delivered his message, made to get up, but before he could, Mis gasped.

"I almost forgot! There's someone I'd like you to meet." Mis said excitedly. Jumping out of her seat and over to the sink. Standing on her tip toes she placed her hand in Peaches' cage, allowing her to slither on to Mis's hand. She turned around and sat back down at the table, causing Sirius to jump up and take several feverous steps away before crossing his arms and trying to appear casual. Mis rolled her eyes at him. She set the little snake on the table, and watched it slide over to Snape. He took a look at the creature before resting his hand on the table, palm facing up. Peaches flicked her tongue out several times, trying to gauge Snape, who looked mildly interested in the creature.

"What's her name?" Snape asked as the snake slithered over his hand.

"Peaches." Mis replied, grinning like a fool.

"You can't name a snake _Peaches_ , Mis. It's degrading." He commented, giving the snake a look of pity.

"It's not degrading, it's adorable!" She exclaimed. "She's a Crawlin' King Snake, just like Jim Morrison." She said indulgently.

"I thought he was The Lizard King?" Snape asked mildly. Mis chuckled knowingly.

"He was the Crawlin' King Snake first." She said smugly.

"He was not!" Piped up Sirius, forgetting his fear and taking a step closer to Mis. "He was The Lizard King in 1968 because of the poem he put on the sleeve his 'Waiting for the Sun' album, and Crawlin' King Snake didn't come out till bloody '72." Sirius said with conviction. Mis opened her mouth to argue then closed it again. She turned to Snape for confirmation. Snape closed his eyes and nodded as if he were trying to break the news gently. Mis slid her jaw in annoyance.

"I should've known that." Mis cursed herself. If her father had been there he probably would've disowned her on the spot for missing that bit of musical trivia. In Mis's family, musical knowledge was common sense, everyone had a decade that they prized above the others, and between herself, her mother, father and siblings, they knew more about music than a Rolling Stone editor.

"Don't beat yourself up, love. Honest mistake." Sirius said smugly, looking at Mis with a condescending smile.

"Shut up." She replied childishly.

Snape left shortly thereafter, handing Peaches back to Mis, who put her back in her tank before walking Snape out.

"Don't push yourself, I saw your interior design project inside. You need to be well rested for the party, any verbal slip-ups could be disastrous." Snape said with his signature sneer. "…and I'm not bailing you out if you were to shag yourself." He added warningly. Mis chuckled,

"Trust me, everything I say will be deliberate." she assured him, turning to look up at his coal black eyes. "But thanks for worrying about me." She said genuinely, giving him a sweet smile. She had expected Snape to comeback with a disdainful comment, but instead he gave her a single curt nod before popping out of existence on the darkened stoop of Grimmauld Place. Mis smiled to herself contentedly before going back inside to start dinner.

Nothing was making sense, everything was like a watercolor painting, blurring, soft, and calm. Mis didn't mind, because mostly what she saw was green and brown. Good colors, so despite her confusion she was more than willing to let go of the anxiety that confusion would normally bring. So she waited patiently, and before long things began taking shape. Leaves, sharpening in her vision as if an invisible artist was adding detail, subtle shadows, veins and texture. Then a syrupy gold light was spilled over the green, sunset gold, and she could feel heat on her face before a breeze softened it.

Slowly, detail was added and she smiled when she saw where she was. It was an orange orchard, and she knew this one like the back of her hand. It had been in the historical park several blocks away from her home. The smell made her feel as if she had stumbled back in time, it reminded her of spring in Arizona before the summer heat starts to burn the concrete and wilt anything unfortunate enough to be considered living. It filled her up the same way a good song fills up the silence, and makes the person experiencing it realize that maybe the world isn't as awful as previously thought.

She didn't move, fearing that if she did, hairline fractures would chip away the landscape and it would shatter so thoroughly that it would be impossible to put back together. She didn't gasp when she felt someone behind her, and she didn't mind when she felt a pair of arms snake around her stomach and pull her backwards to be gently pressed against a solid male torso. She was strangely untroubled, but she felt the presence of the man, and he didn't feel threatening to her. Instead, it felt familiar, like the arms wrapped around her middle were accustomed to being there and she was accustomed to having them there. She lent her head back against his chest, tilting her chin up slightly and breathing a sigh of contentment. She felt his head dip down and he nestled his face in the crook of her neck. A wonderful shiver danced up her spine when she felt a pair of warm lips kiss her neck. He ghosted his lips with a feather light touch down to her collar bone where he nipped playfully. She giggled, bowing her head and trying to wiggle away from the ticklish sensation. She looked down, her eyes bright and smiling, thinking about trying to pry the arms away from her middle.

Her heart stopped. It felt like ice water had taken the place of blood in her body, causing her lungs to feel as though they were shriveled and incapable of breathing. The arms were a pale bluish-grey with black veins running thickly up and down them, hands that were long and sickly like branches on a tree in winter, and yellowed nails that were rough edged and chipped. There was no denying whose arms they belonged to. Mis couldn't move, and with each heartbeat, she felt the arms growing tighter, rigid and cold like a corpse trying to drag her into itself, trying to bury her underneath its papery skin. She screamed.

Mis thrashed against the arms that were holding her shoulders.

"Mis! Wake up!" Sirius shouted. Mis felt the scream die in her throat and she opened her eyes. The room was dimly lit by Sirius's wand and she could see he was only wearing boxers again, but at the moment she was too frightened to care. She heard hectic footsteps running towards her room from down the hall and, a moment later, Remus charged into the room in a plain t shirt and plaid sleep pants.

"What's wrong?!" He demanded, his wand raised and ready to fire.

"It's alright, Mis was having a bad dream." Sirius said softly. Remus lowered his wand and went to the side of the bed opposite Sirius. Mis's heart was still pounding, never in her memory had she had a dream so horrifying. Sirius dropped his hands and placed his lit wand on the bedside table. "Are you alright?" He asked gently.

Mis covered her face in her hands, feeling wetness on her cheeks. She hadn't realized she was crying and tears were pouring from her eyes like an open tap.

"No, I'm not alright." She said thickly.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Remus asked, placing a cool hand on her shoulder softly. Mis shook her head. She felt a pair of hands on both her wrists as Sirius moved them away from her face, she didn't fight him, but kept her head bowed. He lifted her chin tenderly to look at her properly. Her face was flushed and her eyes wide and magnified by her tears. Neither Remus nor Sirius had ever seen Mis like this, looking so vulnerable and unsure of herself. It was unsettling, she was always like a tree, proud and incapable of bending to any will other than her own. She was always so certain of what she was doing or saying, everything she did was done with conviction. Looking at her now, however, they both saw her for what she had always been, a young girl who , despite her best efforts, is breakable.

"Come here, love." He said, opening his arms. Mis sniffled pathetically and leaned into his chest, nestling her head against his neck. Remus stroked her back soothingly while Sirius held her and pet her hair until she had calmed down. Mis smiled, friends who could chase away nightmares were few and far between and, as she often did these days, she marveled at them and felt something glow inside of her because she knew they were her's. She was fated to be the 'shelter in a tempest' as Hecate had said, but she knew she wouldn't be able to be much of anything without them.

Mis leaned back from Sirius to look at both him and Remus.

"I love you guys." Mis said softly. "That may be weird for me to say…because neither of you have known me for long, but I've known the two of you for a long time." She said, feeling a bit awkward. "Well, that and…I don't think people say it enough." She added gently, feeling her face go slightly pink. There was a moment of silence before she felt Remus grasp her hand,

"We love you too, Mis." Remus said and Mis could hear a smile in his voice.

"Very much." Sirius added, before pulling her over to kiss her temple. Mis didn't care what she would have to do in the future, she would protect them, no matter what it took, no matter what it cost her, she knew she would… or die trying.


	15. The Blood Moon

**Soooo...it's been awhile, yeah, I'm awful, I know...try not to hate me too much. I've no right asking, but please let me know what y'all think, leave a review...or don't...I probably don't deserve them...I take too long to update. Anyway, hope this chapter is as fun to read as it was to write.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I'm too tired to write something clever about that.**

Chapter 15: The Blood Moon

Time had a way of getting away from Mis, or so it seemed. Looking back at the last two weeks, she really couldn't fathom how it had passed her by so quickly. She'd had time to prepare herself mentally for the event she disdainfully referred to as _The Snake Face Rave._ She, of course, used the time given to her not as a tool to prepare herself, rather she used it to finish decorating Sirius's house. In other words, she stuck her head in the sand like a stubborn ostrich, and purchased drapery, rugs, appliances, and furniture in order to cope with the admittedly awful predicament she'd gotten herself into. She'd even gone so far as to purchase a television, which incidentally, was slowly turning Sirius and Remus into trash-tv addicts. Mis concluded she probably should've seen that one coming, but then hindsight is always 20/20.

Sitting on the edge of the antique porcelain tub with a light-blue towel wrapped around her recently washed body, she could hear the sound of some Maury-like show playing below her, and subsequent shouts of indignation from Sirius and Remus. Mis smiled fondly, before she remembered her situation. She had to get ready for the Snake Face Rave, and that thought made the smile dissolve away from her face. The orange orchard dream had continued almost every night, and although her reactions to it had lessened considerably, it still caused her to wake up cold and frightened. Her devoutly catholic mother had always said that dreams were a way for God to talk…if that was true she hadn't the slightest idea what the almighty was trying to say, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

Mis sighed and stood up, whatever the dream meant…it didn't bode well with her, and it felt almost like a warning. She shoved the thought away from her mind, and decided to focus on her appearance, everything she did had to be calculated especially how she presented herself. After blow drying her hair and curling it into soft, dark spirals, she rummaged in the makeup case she'd purchased the other day.

This was no ordinary make-up application, this was fucking war paint and she needed it to be flawless. She examined her skin critically, it was a healthy, clear peaches and cream so she decided against liquid foundation. Her eyes were too dark and sharp, so she applied green eyeliner to make them appear brighter and more wide and doe-ish. Mascara was next, but instead of elongating her lashes she focused on making them full. She brushed on a very light sheen of copper eyeshadow that was only noticeable if the light caught the shimmer. After dabbing on highlighter to the bridge of her nose and cheeks, she swiped on some rose colored lip tint.

Mis took several paces back, and crossed her arms as she considered herself in the bathroom mirror. She looked sweet and fragile…like a goddamn angel. Mis smirked, effectively shattering the innocent reflection in the mirror. No one would ever suspect her to be planning something, she looked like them embodiment of virtue, and that was precisely how she wanted it. Still in her towel, she gathered up her things and padded to her room down the hall. After shutting the door behind her, she dropped the towel and fumbled through her dresser where she picked out a matching set of lacy white underwear, briefly thanking god that she didn't have to go strapless.

 _The last thing I need is to be tugging at my boobs all evening,_ she thought to herself as she slipped on the underwear. She went to the large wardrobe, and took out the silver dress Mrs. Malfoy had made for her. It really was beautiful and, as she slipped it on, she felt a whole new appreciation for it. The fabric felt like a light breeze on her skin, rustling and gentle. She turned to look in the full length mirror on the wall opposite her dresser, and nearly gaped at herself when she saw her own reflection. The hem of the dress reached to the tops of her feet, and rippled like water as she walked. The rounded neckline showed her collar bones and the pale skin of her neck. The sleeves were loose, and had a slit along her upper arm that showed the lean muscle there, with a dark green cuff that fastened just above her elbow. The bust was form fitting, with dark green vines wrapping around the collar and down to cinch her waist snugly before falling into the fluid silver skirt.

Mis smiled, she looked damn good in it…ethereal almost, like some kind of mystic being representing purity or chastity…She really did look like Artemis. Though she was missing a crucial element if she was going to really try and be the goddess of the hunt. Mis went to the writing desk that still had dusty stationary materials on it, and opened the long drawer on the side to pluck out the daggers Mad-Eye had given her. She fumbled for another moment trying to figure out how to attach the thigh strap to her leg with the dress hiked up to her hip. After several moments of muttering curses, she had it and two of the black daggers secured and in place.

 _I don't think I've ever been more badass_. Mis thought to herself as she checked herself out in the mirror with her leg still was a gentle tap on her door.

"It's open." She shouted over her shoulder, dropping the skirt and dusting herself off.

Remus stepped into the room and Mis turned to him smugly. His amber eyes brightened as he saw her, and his face broke into a bright smile.

"You look lovely, Mis." He said kindly from the door way. Mis pranced over to him, pleased with his compliment.

"Really?" She asked innocently, fluttering her eyelashes.

Remus chuckled, "Severus is here, so get that vanity out of your system now, you know he won't tolerate it." He said good-naturedly, tugging on a curl teasingly. Mis nodded resolutely, this was it…she was going into the proverbial snake pit.

"Right!" She said with determination. She grabbed the strappy silver heels she'd gotten the other day, and followed Remus down the stairs with both in one hand as she brushed her fingers through her hair to settle it down. Remus waved her into the kitchen while he began walking into the direction of the living room, where Sirius seemed to be making some sort of ruckus.

There was something to be said for a well-made, pretty dress. It made Mis's movements more gentle and fluid, and dare-she-say, graceful. She wouldn't be wearing things like it all the time, but every once and a while, it felt nice wear something feminine.

"It's about bloody time, Holtzer." Snape barked as Mis glided into the room. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Snape sitting on the kitchen table bench, and she felt all of the femininity evaporate from her body like drops of water on a hot skillet. He glance at her up and down briefly, before looking away with disinterest. He was wearing his normal black robes, though Mis thought they looked a little crisper than usual.

"I know I've said it before, but apparently I need to say it again." Mis said with a mellow voice, as she walked over and sat down next to him. "I will not be subject to anyone's perception of time, Snape. I go at my own goddamn pace, and cursed is the man who tries to stuff me into a timetable." She said feistily, sternly thrusting a shoe at him before crossing her legs to strap it onto her foot.

"Besides…" She continued absently, as she slipped the other shoe on. "Time is a fucking illusion, it's measurement is totally arbitrary…like think about it, who decided how long a second is…?" She said, getting lost in her little soliloquy, and staring off into nothing with a kind of skeptical confusion on her face.

"Have you been listening to Chicago lately?" Snape asked in a mild tone. Mis shot him a glare.

"Go to hell, Snape. I can have ideas about the nature of time independent from Robert Lamm." She replied tartly with a huff.

"Merlin, how do you know the name of the lead singer of Chicago?" Snape asked, narrowing his eyes at her as if she were a puzzle he was trying to decode. Mis blew a strand of hair away from her face.

"How do you not? You're the one who referenced _Does Anyone Really Know what Time it is?"_ She said accusatorially.

"I tried reading Nietzsche once…You remember when he writes of staring into the void and the void staring back?" Snape asked her, almost pleasant sounding.

"Are you saying I stare into the void?" Mis asked in mock offense.

"No, I'm saying you _are_ the bloody void; a void seemingly hell bent on thrusting asinine musings upon me in an attempt to break my already fragile sanity…" He said acidly. He leaned forward as if the closer proximity would make his words clearer. "We are about to go to a goddamn Death Eater festival, and you're blabbering about time like some failed philosophy major." He said through gritted teeth.

"Well when you put it _that_ way…" Mis said with an eye roll as she got up, experimentally standing in the heels with a steadying hand on Snape's shoulder. She took several wobbly steps with both her arms out, ready to catch herself should she face-plant on the hard kitchen tile.

"Maybe I should just wear sneakers…" She mused aloud, as she straighten her back and took a few more steps away from the stability of Snape's shoulder. Trying to avoid looking down at her feet, she walked to end of the table shakily.

"You've never worn heels?" Snape asked dryly, supporting his jaw on his fist as he watched her struggle. Mis slide her jaw and turned to look at him slowly, her eyes crackling.

"No." She said in a low voice that dared him to comment further. The corner of Snape's lip twitched upward for a millisecond, and there was far too much mirth in his coal-black eyes. Mis bit the inside of her cheek in thought, genuinely considering wearing sneakers, elegance be damned.

Snape rolled his eyes, "Just hold onto my arm, Holtzer. However amusing I would find your face acquainting itself with the pavement, I won't let it happen." He said, with a lazy hand wave.

Mis's eyes shot to Snape. She didn't smile, his words seemed too kind to her, so kind that she could physically feel them like a sharp pain in her heart. She knew he hadn't meant it to be as meaningful as she took the statement, but that didn't stop her from feeling the sharp sensation radiate around her lungs, burn her throat and finally rest at the backs of her eyes were it stayed and threatened to make them well up. It hurt, but in the best possible way, like sinking into a slightly too hot bath after a long day of working outside. She swallowed down her emotions, and calmly walked over to sit back down next to him. He looked a bit confused at her teary eyes, but Mis didn't care, she just looked at him. Snape looked at her with a bit a trepidation, slightly alarmed at her intensity.

"What?" Snape said with a bit of annoyance. Mis smiled, resting her hand on top of his and gripped it gently.

"Nothing." she replied simply. "I'm just really glad I have you." She informed him, looking at him unwaveringly. It took a moment, but eventually Snape matched her small smile, and with his free hand brought it up to brush his knuckles against her cheek tenderly. In that moment, she wondered to herself what her life would've looked like without Snape. From the very start, he'd been her favorite, though she felt a little guilty at that thought. She loved them all, everyone she'd met thus far, but for some reason, she identified with Snape the most. She didn't even know why, she'd never suffered as he had and she knew she could never understand the pain he must've experience. Her life had always been bright, full of laughter and the unconditional love of family. She'd always had a place to call home, and people she could protect and who would protect her in turn. Perhaps, she thought, that was yet another reason why she was there. She'd lived such a good life, and instead a staying put in the safety of the things she knew, she was granted the chance to show these people the love that was scarce in their lives. She could give them a place to belong, even if it was only in her heart. _Much is required of those who much has been given_. But it didn't feel like a burden to her, just another gift.

There was a loud crash, and Snape drew his hand away from her face as if burned.

"Found it!" Sirius cried triumphantly, striding into the kitchen with purpose.

"We were having a moment, Sirius." Mis said in agitation, waving between herself and Snape.

"Shut up, Holtzer." Snape muttered crossly, seemingly annoyed at having been caught up in her web of sentimentality. Mis rolled her eyes and stood up, with her arms open.

"Whataya think?" She asked Sirius brightly, attempting to do a quick spin that ultimately resulted in a struggle to maintain her balance. Sirius was shirtless, per the usual, but living with him these last couple weeks had desensitized her to it. She'd given up on trying to keep him clothed, and much like mothers do with toddlers, it was sometimes just easier to let them run naked if that was what they desired. Sirius had certainly taught Mis how to choose her battles.

"Mis…" He started, before looking at her properly. Mis smirked. Sirius's face twisted in horror.

"You can't go there looking like that!" He exclaimed, gesturing to her dress wildly. Mis jumped at the intensity in his voice.

"The hell are you talking about?" Mis asked with both confusion, and annoyance at having been startled. "I mean, I'm not trying to be vain or…" She paused, as she looked down at herself and considered her words more carefully. "No, yeah. I _do_ mean to be vain." She said, nodding along with herself. "I look damn good, Sirius, so what's your problem?" She asked him, with her hands on her hips.

"You'll be assaulted!" He shouted in indignation, and seemingly every muscle in his body tensed. He leaned in a bit closer, causing Mis to unconsciously lean closer to hear him.

"…Sexually." He whispered confidentially, as if she hadn't understood the context of his statement.

Mis bit tongue and scrunched up her face to keep from smiling. _Just reason with him, it'll only piss him off if you laugh now._ Said the still small voice in her head…that she always ignored. It started as a small snort that quickly turned into a chuckle, and finally a deep belly laugh. She held out one hand as if begging him to stop, and the other clutching her cramping stomach.

"Goddammit." she muttered through a snigger, trying to keep her eyes from streaming with her fingers before seeing Snape mildly and wordlessly holding out a white handkerchief for her. She took it hastily, and dabbed at the mascara threatening to streak her face with black.

"Oh my god, you sounded exactly like my mom just now. Seriously, man. Dead ringer." She said, holding up an 'ok' sign and still chuckling at his absurdity.

"I mean it, Mis." Sirius said with conviction. A vein was pulsing in his neck, and his face was turning red. "You could be harassed, is that what you want?!" He demanded. Mis thought about the question for a moment.

"Well…It kinda depends on who is doing the harassing." Mis said with a frown and a casual shrug. Snape, Remus, and Sirius's heads shot around to look at her so fast, she was concerned that they might have given themselves whiplash. Three angry sets of eyes glared fury into her face. Mis backed away from their rage and held out her arms in what she hoped was a calming gesture. "I'm kidding, I'm kidding." She insisted quickly, apparently they weren't in the mood for joking.

"Jeez, didn't know it was your guys' time of the month." Mis mumbled, cross that no one was currently appreciative of her humor.

"I take offense to that statement." Remus said, trying to help Mis lighten the mood. Mis smiled at him gratefully.

"Oh, I do apologize for being just slightly concerned about you waltzing in to a bloody Death Eater convention…I supposed I'll just keep my comments to myself." Sirius said haughtily, crossing his arms and plopping down at the head of the table with a defiant grunt. Mis sighed, _I really need to try and stop being such a bitch_ , she thought to herself regretfully. She walked over to him and bent at the waist to try and look Sirius in the eyes, but he pointedly looked away.

"I'm sorry, Sirius. I didn't mean it like that. I appreciate you worrying, and I know I would be acting the same way if our positions were reversed." Mis said earnestly. Apologies were, in general, not one of Mis's strong suits on account of her overinflated pride and overall pig-headedness. Giving apologies felt like losing to her, and there were few things she hated more than losing. She didn't particularly like that characteristic of hers, but there was little she could do about it.

Sirius glanced at her skeptically, apparently trying to discern her level of sincerity. She let him search her because she knew she'd been wrong to be careless of Sirius's feelings. Sirius sighed heavily.

"I stand by what I said. You're asking for trouble by going there looking like that." Sirius said, but there was a resignation in his voice that indicated he didn't intend to push the matter further. Before the room could fall into an uneasy silence, he fished a dark-blue velvet box from under his arm and thrust it at Mis.

"Here, it's something I'd like you to have." He said, still slightly cross.

Mis's eyes lit up, and she smiled brightly.

"I get presents?!" She asked excitedly, shuffling nearer to him as fast as the godforsaken heels would allow. She took the surprisingly heavy box from Sirius, and he glance up at her. The grey eyed marauder looked pleased with her reaction despite himself, and he allowed a small smile to curl his lip at her enthusiasm.

She daintily flipped open the lid and her jaw hit the floor. Inside, nestled in white satin was a necklace. It had a dense platinum chain inlaid with small sapphires that led to an emerald teardrop pendent. It wasn't gaudy, but it certainly had a presence. Mis tentatively plucked it from its resting place, and held it nearer to her face to inspect it. She noticed a sort of rushing sensation, like rapid water that the necklace seemed to give off like an aura. She turned it in her hand, and briefly thought that she would have to work the rest of her life (with tax evasion) in order to purchase something similar.

"It's been in my family since roughly the 1730's. It has a rather nasty enchantment on it preventing anyone but decedents of the Black family from touching it…Should anyone attempt to touch _you,_ this will offer at least a modicum of protection." Sirius said offhandedly. Mis grinned like a cat who'd just caught a very succulent canary.

"So when they see me wear it, they'll either have to assume I'm a member of the Black family, or else someone powerful enough to break a 250 year old curse…Talk about a statement piece." Mis said in grim appreciation as she dangled it carelessly from her finger. She unclasped it and hung it around her neck, it took a moment of fumbling but eventually she had it on.

She took several paces away from the three men. "Well?" She asked, lifting her head to display the necklace better. Snape rolled his eyes, Remus nodded with a smile.

"It suits you." Sirius said kindly. Mis smiled at him.

"I promise, I'll bring it back in one piece." Mis said jokingly. Sirius chuckled.

"You can have it. I've no one else to give it to." Sirius shrugged.

"What?! No…I mean thank you, but…jeez man, you could feed a third-world country if you hawked this thing, I wouldn't feel right about it." Mis stuttered.

"Anyone who's willing to buy a cursed necklace is not someone I would sell it to, and besides…you went to the bloody underworld and brought me back home, Mis…let me spoil you if I can." He sweetly, standing up and patting her on the cheek affectionately. Mis smiled, and threw herself into Sirius's arms, before reaching up to peck him on the cheek.

"I guess if you, insist." She said pulling away. "Who'd ever thought I wrangle myself a sugar daddy?" She commented with a wink. Sirius chuckled.

"I knew I shouldn't have eaten before coming here." Snape said acidly. "I'm feeling slightly ill." He continued, sneering in Mis's direction. She gave Snape a leveling look.

"Professor Killjoy strikes again." Mis said mildly.

Several minutes later, Mis said her goodbyes to Sirius and Remus, giving both a fierce hug before departing out of the front door after Snape who was impatiently waiting next to the little blue Toyota that had been lent to her from Dumbledore. Mis gave the two men one last look before stumbling over to the car.

"Holtzer, this is neither the time nor…"

"I don't care…I'm not dropping this!" Mis insisted, cutting Snape off mid-sentence and glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as she drove. She had her wrist resting on the top of the steering wheel and the other on the clutch, her impassioned state causing her to unconsciously accelerate the vehicle.

"Saying that Steve Winwood is better than Eric Clapton is morally offensive to me." She said with dignity. Snape huffed.

"For godssake, Holtzer! The proof is in the potion. Who has sold more records? Who is commonly accepted as being the more skilled guitarist?" Snape demanded, being pulled into the conversation despite himself.

"You're making my argument for me. Clapton is the answer to both of those questions." She said with a snort.

"He's the answer to both questions, exactly, he is given his unofficial title of "best member of Blind Faith" because the majority of people deem it to be true…" He said rubbing his temple. Mis listened closely curious how he was gonna turn that one around.

"…And what do we know about people?" Snape inquired with false pep. Mis opened her mouth to answer, but Snape held up a hand.

"99 percent of them are complete idiots, thus you can be damn sure that when the mob dictates that someone is the best, that can almost definitely mean that the person in question is, in fact, mediocre at best." Snape said, his voice growing more heated with each word he uttered.

"Did you just call Ol' Slow Hands mediocre?" Mis ask in appealed disbelief.

"And what if I did?" Snape challenged blandly.

"Then I'll be forced to drive this car into a petroleum tanker, and let the resulting fire purify you of your wrong opinions." She deadpanned. Snape nodded his head.

"At least that would free me of yours." He replied with an 'after you' wave of his hand.

Mis didn't know were the hell they were, they left the highway ages ago and were currently driving west through a small seaside town that was quaint and pleasant. The sun was just beginning to dip and paint the world a deeper shade of gold. The very thin roads made Mis nervous so she was driving perhaps a little slower than she normally would, but it did allow her to watch the children and parents in their halloween costumes. She smiled at them, all the adorable little fairies and superheroes practically buzzing with excitement that was soon to be exacerbated by excessive amounts of candy.

"I miss trick or treating." Mis said fondly as she watched the kids run up and down the sidewalk lined with cute cottage-like homes. "It was always so fun, my family never half-assed it. We'd have pumpkins, tombstones and cobwebs in the front yard. Mom and Dad would drive my sister, my brother and me to the rich part of town, give us each a pillow case, and encourage us to have a sugar coma when we got home. Then we'd watch old horror movies until we all passed out on the couch." Mis chuckled.

"I never went trick or treating." Snape commented after a few moments. Mis turned to look at him sharply.

"What?!" Mis exclaimed, nearly swerving the car in her shock.

"My father was a devoutly religious man, who considered it to be a pagan practice." Snape said, but instead of bitterness in his voice there was something else that Mis couldn't identify.

"Oh, I see. My mom is as catholic as a person can get, so I get that bent…" Mis nodded understandingly. "Can't imagine he was too pleased to find both his wife and his son were magically inclined." Mis commented, glancing at Snape.

Snape nodded, "Bit of an understatement. The bastard didn't "spare the rod" when he found out."

Mis resisted the urge to gasp, Snape was opening up to her but damned if she knew what to say. A single sentence and she was stumped. She wanted to comfort him, but she didn't know how.

"I can feel the pity radiating off of you, and it isn't pleasant." Snape said mildly. Mis wondered if it was pity that she felt, perhaps it was in a way. However, it also felt like more than that; pity was something a person feels towards injured puppies, and Snape sure as hell wasn't a puppy, but he was injured. His injuries weren't visible though and they certainly couldn't be mended by cliches or empty words. She wanted to tell him about how she wished he'd had a better life, and how much she wished she could make it better. She wanted him to know that he'd never have to be alone again, that she would keep pace beside him regardless of anything he might do or become. It twisted her insides to know that he'd never been told that, or offered that kind of friendship.

"Sorry, just makes me sad…and angry." Mis replied, taking a deep breath. Instead of claiming some grand emotion, Mis opted to keep it simple.

Snape turned to look at her, with a strange look on his face, almost…grateful? "Don't apologize, Holtzer, it doesn't suit you." he said.

Mis chuckled, and glanced at Snape. "That almost sounds like a compliment." Mis commented slyly.

Snape gave a humorless snort. "I must have said it wrong." He replied in a dry tone. She mock laughed at his comment, making sure to lay in on thick.

"I should take you trick or treating." She mused aloud, a wicked sparkle taking up residence in her dark eyes.

"Like hell." He muttered.

"We can carve pumpkins." She suggested as if it were a treat she was withholding.

"I think not."

"Come on, I'm trying bring out some of the childlike whimsy you've lost over the years. I know there's still an adorable little Snape in that cold, black heart of yours." She said, poking him in the arm teasingly. Snape looked like he was praying for Mis to be smote like a bolt of lightening.

"Stop here." Snape ordered. They'd been driving for a good while, and were currently on their way down a secluded, poorly paved road that rested on the fringes of a sparse forrest. She pulled to the shoulder and stopped the car at his command, briefly wondering how she was going to manage walking on the uneven terrain. Mis got out of the car, and was instantly thrown off balance by a small hole that could be described as sadistic; thankfully she caught herself on the still open car door. There was a sharp chill in the air that cut through the light fabric of her dress, she knew she'd be a mess of shattering teeth in no time flat.

"Hey Snape…" She began, shutting the car door, and turning to look at him over the top of the car. She smiled, he'd already anticipated her complaint and was holding up a dark green cloak smugly. She walked over to him slowly, and took the cloak with a smile. After fastening it on her shoulders, she let out a breath.

"Alright, lets do this." Mis said, her tone equal measures of trepidation and determination. Snape gave a noncommittal grunt, and offered her his arm. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow, and together they began walking down the road.

"Remember, Holtzer…This is a gathering a Death Eaters, understand?" He said as if she were mentally defective. "This will be disturbing, the potion's ceremony will be held tonight as the moon rises to the sky's equilibrium…" Mis held up a hand to stop him.

"Sky's equilibrium?" She asked mildly, trying to hold back a snort. "Yeah, just one question…will we be balancing our chakra's and communing with The Great Mother Earth?" She queried skeptically. "I mean I _have_ been feeling a bit out of line with my Chi, or whatever." She confided mockingly, as she watched his face.

Snape closed his eyes and inhaled, before turning to look at her.

"Fascinating, you've managed to insult three different religious concepts in one breath. Your ignorance is absolutely breathtaking." He said in false awe.

"Well, I _am_ an American, no one can be as offensive as us." She said brazenly, raising a fist proudly. "It's kinda like our super power. _Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses_ and watch me offend them all…" She chuckled. "That's what should be at the foot of the Statue of Liberty."

"Indeed." Snape said with disdain.

Mis turned to him sharply, before ripping her hand out from his bent arm and flicking him in the ear smartly.

"What the hell, Holtzer?" Snape demanded angrily, his hand rubbing his abused ear.

"You're not allowed to dis my country, Snape. I'll pop a cap faster than you can say 'apple pie'." She said sternly, looking at him fiercely with her hands on her hips.

"I was agreeing with you!" He shouted in indignation.

"Well don't. They may be idiots but they're _my_ idiots." she said passionately, placing a hand over her heart. "…and I'll be damned if I let some crumpet-eating Englishman speak disparagingly against my patriotic brothers and sisters." She finished, holding a finger up threateningly. Mis smiled inwardly and she almost felt pity for Snape at that point…almost. It was just so entertaining for her when he got all pissy, he looked ready to combust into spontaneous flames of frustration.

"I've half a mind to just let them have at you." Snape said through gritted teeth.

Mis chuckled.

"Nice try, but you'd never leave me to the hounds…you like me too much." She said confidently, smirking up at the scowling man.

"Go to hell, Holtzer." He muttered, and began walking down the road.

"Been there, done that." Mis replied flippantly, as she trailed behind him. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

The night was clear and crisp, and Mis found herself looking up at the darkened sky as she walked. It was going to be a cloudless night, and she could see the stars peeking out through the dusky sunset. It was so peaceful and still; the tall symmetrical trees that lined the road didn't have the faintest flutter in their leaves, and the air around her was docile. Part of Mis allowed herself to enjoy the calm, but most of her was pissed off at nature's beautiful indifference to the anxiety that she could feel swirling in her gut. It should've been storming or snowing, or a enormous fucking tidal wave should've been threatening to submerge the UK like Atlantis.

Her heart rate had steadily been increasing for the past several minutes as she considered her predicament. Too much hinged on this one encounter. This could make or break her plans to save the Malfoys, their lives were at stake and she didn't have a goddamn idea of how she was supposed to handle that kind of pressure. Before she knew it, her heart was pounding against her ribcage, and the self-confidence (or cockiness) that normally colored her attitude had decided to take a proverbial hike, leaving her feeling very much like a 17 year old idiot who was way out of her depth.

"Holtzer…" Snape ground out.

"Hmmm?" She answered absently, not engaging.

"Your cutting off the circulation in my fucking arm." He spat irritably. Mis only noticed the pain in her own cramping hand after he mentioned his abused limb. She loosened her grip.

"Sorry." She muttered dejectedly. Snape stopped short, and spun her to face him with his hands gripping her shoulders.

"You listen to me, Holtzer." He started holding up a finger so close to her face that she had to cross her eyes. Mis's eyes widened in slight shock at his outburst. "This is the choice _you_ made, and now is not the fucking time to develop a sense of self-preservation. So just slap that bloody infuriating smirk on your face and pray to whatever god you pray to that it doesn't fail." He said darkly, shaking her none too gently as if trying to shake the worry out of her brain. Mis's mouth was slightly open, and she stared silently for a moment as she processed his words. After a moment, they had the desired effect, she felt emboldened by him and suddenly felt her head become clearer. Snape was being surprisingly supportive…Sure, he was also being kind of a dick about it, but that was just his way. He didn't mince words, or suffer fools, and Mis appreciated that about him.

"You know what? You are so damn right!" She said, nodding her head enthusiastically, and curling her hands into fists. "I'm gonna go in there and kick ass…I'm gonna. Fuck. Shit. Up." She said, feeling a little hysterical but pumped all the same.

"That's really not was I was…" Snape started, trying to backtrack.

Mis ignored him. "We're gonna be so badass when we walk in there. They'll be astounded by our fabulousity…" She said fiercely, and paused. "That's a word right?" she asked. She shook her head before he could answer. "Doesn't matter, it's a word now." She said, smugly. Mis clapped her hand once, pointed down the road and began walking again, her eyes bright with a confidence that bordered on lunacy.

Snape watched her as she walked down the road for a few paces before following behind. She still stumbled a bit, but she seemed to be getting the hang of walking in heels. The corner of his lip twitched of it's own accord, she could be a real scatterbrain, but she had a spark that was all her own. He worried about her, mostly against his will, in Snape's experience growing attached to people seldom ended well. She'd been too persistent though, she'd wormed her way into his life despite his efforts to avoid her. Most people were effectively driven away by his personality, but not her. It'd been very long time since he'd found someone that could tolerate his admittedly sour attitude and he was actually grateful to her for that, though he intended to take that truth to his grave.

Snape knew she was kind, he knew she had a good heart, but it was her pride that, if it remained unchecked, would take her down a dark path. Snape knew The Dark Lord had a way of seeing weakness. He was the kind of poison that disguises itself as something nourishing, and could easily latch on to her ego and water it like a thirsty thorn bush. Holtzer was no fool, but no one was immune to The Dark Lord, no matter their strength of character, purity of heart, or good intentions, he was too skilled at manipulation. She would be taken in by the Dark Lord's lotus flower promises, and it made Snape feel a helplessness that weighed heavily on his heart… because he could not shield her and he wanted to.

He smirked as he watched her walk down the path, her posture straight, and her steps sure and determined. She was going to put up a damn good fight though and, to Snape, there was honor in that. The ability to strut into hell and laugh at the devil was a rare quality, and one that had taken him years to cultivate. Snape breathed out and shook his head somberly. Nothing could change the fact that she was still to young and inexperienced to handle someone like the Dark Lord, there was nothing he could do about that, but there was one thing he could offer her that no one else in the Order would be able to…Understanding. He understood what it was like to be seduced by Voldemort, and he knew how easy it was to give in. He wouldn't be able to judge her for that, for being human.

Mis slowed her pace to walk in tandem with Snape, gripping his shoulder for stability every now and then. He was quiet, but it wasn't his normal quiet, it was too tense. Mis glanced at him sharply.

"You're brooding." She chastised, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What's wrong?" She asked curtly, but her eyes concerned. He snorted humorlessly, and shook his head.

"What's right?" He countered. Mis huffed.

"Wow, could you try and be a little less cliched?" She asked scornfully, though mostly teasing. " _What's right_?" She mocked. "You sound like Morrissey." She said, knowing that would get his goat, and perhaps turn his mind to something less dark. Snape turned to her slowly as they walked with a sneer twisting his face.

"Ha, Ha." He retorted sarcastically. Mis merely looked up at him with an innocent expression on her face, but a smirk crinkling the corners of her eyes. Snape flicked her in the ear.

"Hey!" She exclaimed, wondering if it had stung as much when she had done it to him.

"You deserved it." He replied simply.

Thankfully, shortly thereafter they came to a pathway that seemed better groomed and more even, lined with tall, thin trees whose gold and red leaves still clung to their branches, though some were beginning to litter the path that Mis and Snape walked. The sun had almost completely set, and the world was reduced to dark blue silhouettes. Mis's feet were beginning to pain her when she spotted a boldly flickering light illuminate the final bend of the small road. In turning the final corner she saw Malfoy Manor.

"So this is basically the Addams Family house on 'roids?" She deadpanned at Snape. He looked unamused. It was grand, it was imposing and very intimidating. Everything about it was black and sharp, like dark stone and crystal. There was, however, warm gold light spilling out from all the large, gothic windows, and the color seemed very at odds with everything that surrounded it.

"Hey Snape." She started as they approached the structure. "You ever seen _Eyes Wide Shut_?" She queried humorlessly.

"Yes." He said slowly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion at her question.

"Will this party be similar in any way to that movie? 'Cause I don't think I'm up for a masked, ritualistic orgy tonight." She warned him with a snort.

"We only have orgies on Tuesdays." He replied blandly, "…But who knows what could happen on a full bloodmoon." He qualified lightly.

Mis walked up to the door and raised her hand to knock, but Snape caught her wrist. She looked at him questioningly.

"You will not leave my sight. You will not consume alcohol. You will not be a smart ass. Do I make myself clear?" Snape demanded in a harsh whisper. Glaring into her eyes in the darkened stoop of the ornate doorway.

"Ow." She said pointedly in annoyance. She tried to pry his vice-like hand off of her wrist, but he held fast.

"Holtzer…" He warned darkly.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine, you said so yourself." Mis whispered back carelessly, as she stopped trying to release herself. He pinched his lips and raised his eyebrows skeptically. "Now let go…the longer we wait out here, the more I think about going on the lam and becoming an alpaca farmer in Peru or something." She said crisply. He set her wrist free, gave her one last pointed look that meant either 'Don't be an idiot.' or 'I'm plotting your slow death', and waved for her to knock.

Thinking this was, without a doubt, the single stupidest thing she'd ever done, Mis raised her hand and knocked. Several moments of dead air passed before the door swung open grandly to reveal Mrs. Malfoy in a glimmering dress of forrest green, and a welcoming smile on her face.

"Artemis, Severus." She beamed, stepping aside to allow them entrance. Snape bent smoothly at the waist and Mis, not certain of the ettiequte she was supposed to follow, opted to follow his lead and curtsied delicately.

"Do come in, everyone has arrived already, most are in the ballroom, but I did notice some wandering around the library." Mrs. Malfoy said pleasantly, as Mis and Snape walked through the door into the brightly lit foyer. It was lavishly decorated with crystal lights that emitted a bright warm glow from the ceiling and on the tall grey and green walls. There was a large staircase flourishing and twisting out of sight onto the next level of the house, and rich dark wood and stone dominating the victorian decor.

Feeling a bit jittery at the splendor of it, Mis gave Mrs. Malfoy the prettiest smile she was capable of and took the older woman's hand in her own gently.

"Thank you so much for inviting me into your home, Mrs. Malfoy, and also for the beautiful dress." Mis said, her tone sweeter and more bubbly than it would normally be as she looked up into Mrs. Malfoy's striking grey eyes.

"Oh, the dress!" Mrs. Malfoy exclaimed excitedly, gripping the girls hand back tightly, and apparently ignoring most of the words Mis had spoken. "May I take your robes? I'm so anxious to see it on you." She fussed, dropping Mis hand's and folding both of her own against her chest sincerely. Mis giggled softly, and began shrugging out of her cloak.

"Allow me." Said a deep voice very close to her ear, and she felt a pair of large hands clasp the collar of her cloak. Mis nearly went into cardiac arrest and she tensed for a millisecond, but thankfully due to Mad-Eye's combat training, instead of showing her emotion, she turned her head slowly to look over her shoulder. Her heart still pounding from her scare, she plastered a humble smile on her face.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." She said formally, catching a glint of long platinum hair out of the corner of her eye as she felt him slip the cloak away from her body.

"Lucius, you could have given the poor girl heart failure." Mrs. Malfoy chastised her husband. Mr. Malfoy chuckled as he walked around regally to stand in front of Mis, next to wife, with the formers cloak draped over his arm. He was a carbon copy of Draco, with sharp but slightly androgynous features consisting of high cheek bones, a naturally sneering, aristocratic nose and lip curved into a roughish smile. He held himself with self-importance and radiated a strong aura of arrogance from the gloss of his black oxfords to the top of his silver head. Mis considered that to be quite a feet, considering he'd been in Azkaban for the last several months, though she figured it must be nigh impossible to break a Malfoy's sense of entitlement. Her eyes were next drawn to his absolutely stunning platinum hair. Mis had to resist narrowing her eyes in envy at the way it grazed the top of his shoulders fluidly. _It's the color of starlight for fuckssake, and there's isn't a single split-end on his goddamn plutocrat head._ She thought bitterly. It was too fabulous for a man, of that Mis was certain.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Malfoy." Mis said, purposefully keeping her eyes lowered in false timidity, her face giving none of her thoughts away. Mr. Malfoy bent and took her hand in his, gently brushing his lips across her knuckles.

"The pleasure is mine, Miss Holtzer." He said in a deep voice, looking up at her with his head still slightly bowed. "Please, call me Lucius." He finished with a wink.

 _I'll admit…that was smooth, and kinda sexy._ Mis thought to herself, willing to accept that he had a certain charm, despite his general lack of ethics. Mis had always had something of a soft spot for the Malfoy's, initially because they were all so damn sassy and she found it sort of endearing the way they strutted around with their idiotic bigotry, pettiness, and deep pockets. Later on, that amusement had turned to pity, they were power hungry morons who'd placed too big a wager on a Snake Faced lunatic, they'd fucked up, but not so bad as to be withheld a second chance.

"Stop teasing her, Lucius." Mrs. Malfoy said sternly, lightly slapping a delicate hand against his chest. Mrs. Malfoy took a step closer to Mis. "I apologize for my husband, Artemis, he simply cannot help himself." Mrs. Malfoy said conspiratorially as Mr. Malfoy went over to greet Snape. Mis giggled.

"Well, perhaps you can punish him later for me." She said cheekily. Mrs. Malfoy laughed brightly.

"I think you'll make an excellent wife someday, dear." The elder woman said indulgently.

 _Wow…that's kinda sexist._ Mis thought, but instead of voicing her opinion, she merely smiled sweetly.

"The men have have to know who's in charge." Mis said lightly with an imperious wave of her hand.

"Too true, my dear." The elder woman chuckled, linking her arm with Mis's and a placing a cool hand gently on top of hers. Mis glanced back at Snape as Mrs. Malfoy began steering her away. He subtly nodded his head in encouragement before following alongside Mr. Malfoy behind the two women.

"I must say, Artemis. That dress looks absolutely stunning on you. I'm so pleased you decided to wear it." Mrs. Malfoy said vivaciously as she led Mis down the brilliantly lit hall, and through the dining area. Mis glanced down at the beautiful silver dress and smiled demurely.

"I'm only stunning because the dress itself is. I can't ever remember wearing anything so lovely." Mis said sincerely. Mis chuckled lightly. "Though, to be honest, I'm a bit nervous that I might cause some kind of irreparable damage to it sometime during the evening." She said, feeling a little more comfortable in Mrs. Malfoy's company, and therefore more willing to let more of her true personality come out. Mrs. Malfoy chuckled.

"I was the same way when I went to my first formal event." Mrs. Malfoy said fondly. "I was wearing very traditional witches robes with a train that was longer than a dragon tail, and these impossibly heavy hair ornaments that made it feel as though there was blast ended skroot resting on my head." Mrs. Malfoy explained pleasantly, while Mis listened in amusement. "You needn't worry though, it not nearly as frightening as it seems." Mrs. Malfoy assured her, laughing lightly.

Mis was having a hard time believing this whole thing wasn't some kind of vivid hallucination. Hearing Mrs. Malfoy open up to her was incredibly surreal, but still strangely comfortable. Mis felt a jolt in her stomach, if she wasn't carful Mrs. Malfoy's apparent kindness would cause her to lower her guard, and Mis couldn't afford any slips.

Turning a final corner, Mis saw the Malfoy ballroom. It had large double doors made of black wood opened to reveal a grand expanse of pure luxury. The room was large and brightly lit with wrought iron candelabras that hung from the cream colored walls, and large crystal lights that hung from the tall ceiling. It was full with upwards of a hundred people, all very wealthy judging by their polite buzzing chatter, stiff posture, and clothes, which all seemed to be made of satins, silks and velvets in dark shades of green and blue. Violins and cellos played by themselves in front of a row of white french doors that were opened to a large grey stone patio, letting in some of the chilled night air. Some men and women were waltzing in the center of the room, while others were talking pleasantly in groups of three or more, with flutes of champagne or small crystal glasses of amber liquid in their flawlessly manicured hands. Mis felt her body go numb with adrenaline, and she had to fight the overwhelming urge to cut tail and run like the devil was after her.

 _Why am I doing this again?_ She thought to herself. She turned to look at Mrs. Malfoy who seemed to be looking at her with sympathy. _That's right_ …Mis remembered, this was for the Malfoy's…She'd come here because she wanted to help them. She'd gone and went behind the Orders back and accepted an invitation to the Snake Face Rave so she could lay groundwork for the Malfoy's to trust her and allow her to take them away from that noseless manic. She had a purpose there, and that purpose gave her courage to proceed.

She tried to shove away her fear, but there was a persistent sensation of being watched that made her skin prickle. She didn't know if it was nerves or not, but she felt almost as though she could feel Voldemort's blood red eyes on her. Covertly, she tried to scan the room, wondering if perhaps he was there.

"He'll be here soon." Mrs. Malfoy said with a knowing smile playing on her lips.

Mis's eyes widened at Mrs. Malfoy's words.

"Um…What? No…I'm not…" Mis stuttered, both confused and anxious. Mrs. Malfoy laughed brightly.

"He's nervous too…I did mention he was thrilled to see you in this dress, didn't I?" Mrs. Malfoy whispered conspiratorially. Mis furrowed her brows for a millisecond before it clicked. Mrs. Malfoy was talking about Draco. Mis could feel relief course through her body like morphine. The girl laughed, perhaps a little too loudly to be considered normal.

"Was I that obvious?" Mis asked, thankful that Mrs. Malfoy had misinterpreted her actions.

"Just a bit. Though I don't mind, and I can assure you that he won't either." She replied. There was a strange exception in the woman's stormy eyes, almost as if she were playing…matchmaker.

 _Am…am I a prospect? A goddamn prospect?!_ Mis thought a little hysterically. _Christ, can my life get any weirder?_ She thought in exasperation, though she did feel a little flattered.

"Darling, do you plan on occupying this little blossom all night?" Mr. Malfoy asked teasingly, kissing his wife on the cheek. Apparently, Mis had jinxed herself, surely having Mr. Malfoy refer to her as a 'little blossom' was the weirdest it could get. Mis nearly snorted at herself, _No, it can get weirder…I'm sure of it._ The girl thought to herself mildly. She was also slightly impressed, anyone else and that line would becreepy, like I-own-a-white-van-where-I-stash-my-hentai-collection creepy, but somehow Mr. Malfoy made the line sort of endearing.

"Yes, yes. Of course, introduce her around, Luci, I'm going to go check on dinner." Mrs. Malfoy said hastily, unlinking her arm from Mis's. The woman patted her cheek tenderly.

"Don't fret dear, Luci will take good care of you." the woman assured Mis kindly.

"Indeed." Mr. Malfoy confirmed, inclining his head to Mis as Mrs. Malfoy glided away. Mis smiled sweetly, but inwardly she was panicking…until she saw Snape, standing slightly behind her, silent as a shadow but considerably more comforting. The two shared a look.

 _What am I doing here?_

 _This was your idea, don't look at me like that._

 _Stop being a jackass, and save me._

 _No, you can handle this yourself…you never listen to me anyway._

"Allow me, Miss Holtzer." Mr. Malfoy said, offering her his arm and breaking the intense mental conversation between her and Snape. The girl plastered a flustered smile on her face, and took his arm bashfully.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." She said demurely, glancing up at him through her lashes. He chuckled.

"Please, there's no need to be stiff, as I said before, you may call me Lucius." He said casually.

As he steered her farther into the room, Mis began to notice people were starting to steal glances at her with curiosity, and possibly trepidation. Apparently, she had some sort of notoriety. She would've been significantly more intimidated by it if she hadn't known Snape was near.

"Certainly, if you'll call me Artemis." the girl countered with a friendly smile. He chuckled lightly and bent closer to her ear.

"As you wish." He said, his voice deep enough to bring a shiver up her neck. Mis felt a twinge of annoyance at him invading her personal bubble. She gritted her teeth, but kept a sweet smile on her face.

"May I ask a question?" she hedged, her irritation clouding her judgment as they slowly walked in tandem through the dance floor and toward several groups of people speaking to each other in that old-money, blue blood tone that grated on her ears. Mr. Malfoy chuckled again.

"Of course you may, my Lady." He replied, smirking down at her. Mis glanced at Snape who was walking on the other side of Mr. Malfoy. His eyes flashed, and Mis could see them warning her. He knew she was about to say something cheeky. The bitch within was going to be given some more leash to roam.

"Are you a natural blonde?" She asked flirtatiously, bringing a hand up to brush a lock of hair behind his ear. "…Or is this a spell?." Mis continued in a sickly sweet tone that she normally only used when trying to communicate with infants. Mr. Malfoy simply stared at her. "…And how do you keep yourself from getting split ends? Because I'll tell you, honey, they're the bane of my existence." She said conspiratorially, cocking her head to one side with a devilish smile on her face and a certain malicious glint in her dark eyes as she brushed the back of her finger along the bastards perfectly trimmed white-blonde ends. There was a heavy silence as she looked up at Mr. Malfoy's blue eyes with an expectant look on her face.

Mr. Malfoy suddenly let out a loud laugh that both startled and pissed Mis off. She narrowed her eyes as he laughed, but after a stern glance from Snape, she laughed along with Mr. Malfoy.

"This promises to be a lively evening." He said gaily, his eyes sparkling. Mis had to resist the urge to groan.

Mis was passed around, introduced to Death Eaters, corrupt politicians, and various dark witches and wizards who seemed to be members of a some magical mafia. Mis learned quickly that these people didn't really appreciate Marlon Brando references, they laughed awkwardly when she commented about "Never going against the family", but they did seem fearful of causing offense. Mis noticed a strange pattern in the way they always addressed her, it was always either My Lady, or some sexist term of endearment like 'princess', 'little flower', 'darling', or 'dear'. God forbid the fuckers just use her given name, no, that was way too normal.

Mis was slightly shocked at how damn polite everyone was, all the famous Death Eater names like Dolohov, Crabbe, Goyle, Yaxley, and others that she couldn't remember.

She tried to be charming and sweet, but Mis knew that she didn't belong in this world of manners and insincerity. The longer she talked, the more it began to tear away at her mental stability. Finally she broke away, claiming the need for some refreshments, of course, many offered to fetch it for her but she declined as gracefully as she was capable. She unhooked herself from Mr. Malfoy and searched the room for Snape. He was close and thankfully not engaged in any conversation, so she quickly walked over to him and grabbed him by the arm somewhat roughly and leaned towards his ear.

"What…the fuck…am I doing here?" She demanded of him in a low, hostile voice.

"Don't whisper in my ear…you'll make Lucius jealous." He said blandly, his lip twitching. Mis huffed.

"Yeah, what the hell is his problem?! I'm mean Christ, man, I'm jailbait and he's married." She said, glad she hadn't been alone in her perception of his…friendliness.

"That's really not much of an issue in these circles." Snape replied. Mis gave him a withering stare.

"I'm actually quite entertained thus far…It's rather amusing to see you so clearly annoyed yet trying so desperately to hide it…I can practically see the steam evaporating off your head. It's somewhat cathartic to witness all the irritation you've caused me thrust back upon you. It feels like some sort of divine justice… " He said, his voice fond and entirely too pleasant. "…perhaps there is a God." He finished wistfully, a satisfied smile on his face and his coal black eyes glittering.

Mis wanted to glare at him or curse his name, but she couldn't bring herself to. He looked too damn happy and she couldn't bring herself to begrudge him his entertainment…especially considering she would taunt him similarly if their situations had been reversed.

"At least someone is enjoying himself." She commented.

"Don't do that." He said acidly.

"Do what?" She asked, looking at him curiously.

"Accept misery graciously… it's killing my cheer." He said, his face twisting into his normal sour expression. Mis rolled her eyes at him, but didn't comment. Mis felt a chill go up her spine.

"I keep getting the feeling that he's watching me." Mis whispered as she and Snape strolled arm in arm to the refreshment table.

"That's because he is…idiot. Did you think he was just going to burst in, tap-dance around the room in black velvet robes, and introduce himself." Snape asked her mildly. He extricated himself from her arm, and plucked a glass of champagne for himself.

"Actually, I was envisioning a whole chorus line in sequined top hats announcing his arrival, possibly doing a darker but still jazzy version of 'One Singular Sensation.'" Mis deadpanned, before breaking and snorting at herself. "You know why that's funny?" She asked him merrily.

"You're not supposed to explain jokes." Snape commented blandly. Mis ignored him.

"Because there's a line in that song that goes 'you know you'll never be lonely with _you-know-who_.'"She said beaming, clearly thrilled with her own humor.

"I'm well aware, Holtzer. I've seen 'A Chorus Line.'" Snape said impatiently.

"You're a closet musical watcher, Snape, and you can't imagine how happy that makes me." She said to him, patting him on the arm affectionately before going to pluck a glass of champagne for herself. Snape smacked her hand away crisply.

"Not a chance." He replied when she looked at him accusingly. He retrieved a tall glass of sparkling water from nearby, and handed it to her wordlessly. She took it grudgingly and sipped. Snape stood in front of her abruptly, blocking her view of the massive room. Mis furrowed her brows, he looked murderous but she couldn't think of anything she'd done to piss him off.

"Bellatrix." He warned through gritted teeth. At the mention of her name, Mis felt a surprising rush of pure fire course through her veins, and her hand itched for the knives strapped to her leg. She took a calming breath, now was not the time. She nodded once at Snape, and he stepped back beside her. The woman was wearing a dress of black lace, that dipped into a sharp v showing most of her considerable bosom and clung to every curve of her body. Her hair was long and black, falling over her thin shoulders in tight ringlets. Her eyes were similar in color to Mrs. Malfoy's, but they held none of the kindness, instead there was a wild and clearly unhinged flicker within them. Mis saw that she had once been beautiful, her face was square shaped with full lips and lidded eyes that seemed predatory, but her time in Azkaban had stressed her face so there were a multitude of thin lines branching along the corners of her mouth, on her forehead and around her eyes.

The woman had a confident sway as she walked, and Mis lifted her head and stood up straight as she approached. Mis had never met someone who she hated, and she had no way to know what it would feel like. She hadn't expected disgust and rage to boil in her gut, and cause her to feel simultaneously weak from it's intensity and also burning to act upon it. Mis felt somewhat paralyzed, but she effectively shut down her emotions and instead smiled through gritted teeth as Bellatrix came to stand in front of her.

"My Lady Artemis, I'm honored to meet you." She said, her voice low and raspy as she dipped into a curtsy as if in the presence of royalty. Of all the opening lines and gestures Mis had anticipated that… had not been one of them. Mis was frozen for a solid ten seconds, staring at the woman's bowed head, both transfixed and confused. Snape gave her a sharp jab in the ribs.

"Thank you." Mis said abruptly, finding her voice and shaking out of her stupor. Bellatrix stood straight, a solid head taller than Mis.

"We've all been so anxious to meet you." The bitch said with a frightening plastic smile.

"Oh, I felt the same." Mis assured her. She was having a hard time maintaining a smile in Bellatrix's presence, and found that it had actually slipped from her face. She looked up at the woman imperiously, going through all the heinous things she had done to the people she cared for while studying the wrinkles of her face. Mis's gaze flickered to the woman's eyes and again was shocked. Instead of the animosity that she had expected to see in Bellatrix's insane eyes she saw something else. She stood in front of Mis stiffly, as if she were waiting for some kind of command, and instead of an aura of contempt there was…trepidation. She refused to look Mis in the eye except to steal twitching glances. Mis wondered what she could've done to inspire fear…Mis felt her brain click. It was him, Snake face must have told his little cronies to behave a certain way around her. It explained the way they had been addressing her, and the positively hesitant look on that lunatic bitch's face.

Mis smirked. _So it begins._ She could play the game that Snake Face had set up. Perhaps he was trying to flatter her, if so, she could pretend to be flattered and make him believe he was getting his way.

"May I call you Bella?" Mis asked sweetly, stepping forward and taking the bitch's cold hand in both of her own. The woman's eyes widened slightly and Mis could see a happy hysteria taking form in her feral grey eyes.

"Of course, My Lady." She said, gripping Mis's hand back tightly. For the first time, the woman seemed to take in her appearance and seemed less nervous. Her eyes flickered to Mis's neck, and her eyebrows furrowed.

"That necklace…" She started, her face drawing closer to inspect the necklace Sirius had given Mis. Mis had almost forgotten she was wearing it, though now that she did, she still sensed an aura of rushing water radiating out of it.

"It was a gift from a friend I helped out of a pretty hellish situation." She said lightly. Bellatrix looked like she was about to speak again, but seemed to think better of it.

"It looks well on you." She said, and Mis could tell she was thinking hard about something. Mis opened her mouth to reply.

"Mis?" Came a friendly voice, stopping her from replying to Bellatrix. Mis turned rapidly in it's direction, instantly knowing who it belonged to. Mis felt a pleasant flutter in her heart at the sight of Draco striding towards her excitedly. For once, he wasn't decked out in head to toe black, he'd apparently decided to change it up with a crisp white shirt, a green waistcoat, and grey slacks. His hair was gelled away from his face neatly, with several strands falling in front of his tropical blue eyes, but it was the smile on his face that caused Mis's heart to skip a beat. Forgetting about Snape and that psychotic bitch, Mis practically pranced over to Draco, forgetting about her ineptitude in the heels as well. In fact, she was slightly too enthusiastic, as at the moment he was within reaching distance, her heel caught the hem of her dress, making her stumble. He lunged towards her and placed a steadying hand on the small of her back. Regaining her balance, she looked up at Draco to find his face very close to hers, and holding back an amused smirk. She laughed lightly.

"Can you tell I'm not really the heels wearing type?" She asked, a sheepish grin on her face.

"Would've never guessed." He assured her mildly, keeping his hand in place on her back. He was close enough for her to smell his subtle cologne which reminded her of something she couldn't quite place, the beach maybe. She felt very small, and she could feel is hands warmth splayed on her back. She felt her face flush slightly, and she bowed her head to avoid his eyes.

 _I am not a blusher!_ She reminded herself firmly. She cleared her throat and looked back up at him, intending to blame her red face on the heat of the room or something, but he seemed to have caught her inner turmoil. He looked awfully smug about it, and that effectively snapped Mis out of her uncharacteristic embarrassment. She raised her eyebrows at him wryly, and followed the line of his arm with her eyes pointedly. He cleared his throat and stepped away.

"You look nice." He said, thrusting both hands into his pockets, and hunching his shoulders.

"Nice?" Mis asked in mock offense. "First you keep your guest waiting for your arrival, then you trivialize the effort that went into her appearance by claiming it to be _nice_?" She asked teasingly, smirking as he began to look a bit flustered with his eyes seemingly unsure of what to look at. "Perhaps I feel insulted and should simply find a more flattering companion…" She wondered out lout, scanning the room with her lips pursed in mock thought. Mis spotted Mr. Malfoy. "Ah, I think I've found a worthy candidate." She said decisively turning away from Draco. Before she could flag Mr. Malfoy down, she felt a hand grasp her wrist. She turned slowly with her head cocked in polite inquiry.

"I didn't mean…" He started, his eyes adorably imploring and his pale face tinged with pink. Mis giggled, and a genuine smile lit up her face. He looked so damn cute right then, Mis had to stop herself from nestling in his neck or screeching like a pterodactyl.

"I'm kidding." She said happily. Mis looked at the dance floor were several couples were swaying in time to the gentle sounding string quartet. Her eyes lit up as she looked back at him. "Dance with me." She said, more as a command than a question, though her cheeks flushed once again. She turned her wrist in his hand and held his back and, not waiting for a reply, she dragged him to the fringe of the floor. He chuckled at her enthusiasm.

"Isn't the man typically supposed to ask?" He questioned wryly.

"Probably, but I was worried you might chicken out." She teased. He mock laughed.

"Harming a man's ego is no way to endear yourself to him." He warned her, placing his hand on her waist and drawing her closer. She playfully looked up at him through her lashes.

"Who said I was trying to endear myself to anyone?" She countered tartly. She placed her hand on his shoulder and looked up at him. They both looked at each other seriously for a few moments, no longer than a few heartbeats. She could feel his hand on her waist, and the feel of his strong shoulder under her fingers, and the comfort of his hand in hers. Mis watched his eyes, and wondered how the blue could seem so warm to her, they were soft in a way she'd never expected them to be. He was looking back into hers as well, and she wondered what he saw there. She wondered if he liked them, and if he was as enthralled with her eyes as she was with his. At the same moment, they both started laughing, Mis's coming out high a trilling and his a soft chuckle. Mis wasn't sure why she was laughing, perhaps just to break the intensity of the last several moments. Mis stepped first and slowly they began waltzing while still laughing lightly.

"I'm going to apologize in advance for stepping on your feet." She warned. He chuckled. After several moments Draco cleared his throat.

"You know, the man is supposed to lead." He said mildly. Mis laughed.

"Screw the patriarchy." She said lightly, then stepped on his foot. He grunted in pain. "Sorry…ok, fine you lead." She muttered, trying to put her control issues aside. He was a much better dancer than she, and when she allowed him, he glided them through the dance floor effortlessly.

"You know? I think this is the first time I've ever waltzed." Mis said conversationally as she realized it. "I mean I went to a couple school dances, but I stuck to the fast songs on account of my datelessness." Mis said lightly.

"Fast songs?" Draco said curiously.

"Hell yeah! I'v been known to clear the floor if INXS or Michael Jackson would come on." She said enthusiastically. "I memorized Thriller." She said in mock humility.

"Pardon?" Draco said. Mis stopped dancing and stared at him with raised eyebrows.

"Look, I know you're a wizard and all, but come on, man." She said. "You don't know Micheal Jackson?!" She asked, totally appalled. She shook her head somberly. Draco looked at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"Who?" Draco asked unimpressed. Mis huffed.

"Jesus Christ bananas." She muttered to herself. "What music _do_ you know?" She asked impatiently.

"Salestina Warbeck…The Weird Sisters…" He began to list. Mis held up a hand and pinched the bridge of her nose. A moment later she looked back up at him grimly.

"Come on. I've got a bone to pick." She said in a no-nonsense tone, grabbing him by the hand and leading him off the dance floor to where she saw Snape stiffly standing with one arm tucked under the other and holding a glass of amber liquid. She thrust Draco in front of Snape and planted herself to one side with a hand on her hip.

"Care to explain yourself?" She asked Snape, her voice feisty.

"What are you talking about?" Snape asked, and to anyone else, his tone could've been misinterpreted as pleasant. Mis however understood that the underlying query was actually _What the fuck are you talking about, you complete fucking idiot?_ Mis smirked.

"Well, _professor_ …It's come to my attention that you have neglected this student here." She said, pointing to Draco. "He doesn't even know who The King of Pop is, Snape!" She said accusingly. Snape cracked his jaw, and Draco looked like he wished he could shrink into himself. Mis leaned forward to look Snape in the eyes. _Bless him_ Mis thought fondly. She was still able to render him insane with both confusion and rage, and that was immensely satisfying.

"We need to show him the world. I'll be Aladdin, he'll be Jasmine, and you can be the magic carpet. Sound good?" She said excitedly.

"Holtzer." Snape ground out.

"I mean once we get back to Hogwarts, you've got a record player right? We'll start with the classics and move up the line of musical discovery…" She said grandly. She turned to give Draco a bright smile. "That is if you're willing to be properly educated." She said to him sternly.

"Of course, I'd love to." He replied, with an amused smile. Mis giggled happily.

"Great! Omigod, Snape…" She said turning to the cross looking man hectically. "We have to show him The Smiths, and of course we can't leave out Bauhaus…I know you've got a thing for Peter Murphy." She said rapidly, her eyes bright.

"Holtzer."

"Fine, and Bruce Springsteen, but only the early stuff." She said grudgingly.

"Holtzer!" Snape snapped at her, Mis stopped abruptly…The entire room had gone silent.

There was no more music, nor the gentle murmur of voices or the clink of glasses. The light faded into a darker tint, like it was being shadowed by something. Mis swallowed and looked up at Snape with wide eyes. He nodded curtly at her.

"Draco, look after her please." Snape said emotionlessly.

"Yes, sir." Draco replied with a nod. Snape gave Mis one final look before gliding away. Her back was to the room, and she was frozen that way. Courage is a funny thing, especially for a Slytherin, and Mis was most definitely a Slytherin. She remembered how she'd been a week ago thinking about this night, and two hours ago as she was getting ready, and a few minutes ago as she was dancing with Draco. With her body frozen, it occurred to her that she had deluded herself into thinking she wouldn't be frightened at this moment, she'd been blinded by her own self assurance (as she often was) and had never considered that fear would have the effect that it was currently having on her body.

Every muscle was rigid; tensed and waiting to sprint to safety because being in the same room as Snake Face suddenly didn't seem like such a bright idea…to put it mildly. Until that moment, Mis was unaware that confidence could dry up like a desert river, and courage could seem like a very stupid quality as the possibility of survival got slimmer. Mis grit her teeth, they couldn't kill her, they didn't want to… _He_ didn't want to, not yet at least. She had nothing to fear and even if she did, Mis was not a coward… at least that's what she told herself as she slowly turned around.

He was there in the center of the room, cloaked in ethereal, hooded black robes, and Mis was grateful she couldn't see his face. His hands were visible, loosely clasped together in front of his body, grey and sickly looking and probably cold as snow. She knew her face was straight and emotionless, but her eyes…she knew her eyes were swirling and if someone were to look into them, her fear would be apparent. She breathed in and lifted her chin defiantly. She would not show weakness, this was a game, and she had no intention of losing. He was displaying himself, this was his first move and, of fucking course, it was a performance piece. She struggled to reason a way out of her fear, but no amount of logic was capable of soothing her. She saw Snape take his place at Voldemort's right hand, and felt a jolt go through herself.

A visceral need to protect Snape flooded every bit of muscle, bone and sinew in her body. She wanted to rip him away from that sub-human, and shield him. It drove away her sense of self-preservation and kindled a fire in her blood. She saw one of Voldemort's spidery hands reach over to delicately clasp Snape's forearm. Snape leant over and the Dark Lord whispered into his ear.

Fury was all Mis could feel, it turned her posture straight and her dark hazel eyes flashed as if a hurricane had started forming in them. Her heart knocked against her ribcage like a heavy steel hammer, and she clenched her fists until her joints creaked. Snape was hers, and that disgusting creature was not permitted to touch him. She wanted to lunge, she wanted to strike.

 _No_. Mis stopped herself from stepping forward. This was deliberate, he was flaunting his authority over Snape, and Mis could not allow that to effect her…at least visibly. Was it a coincidence? Or did Snake Face know how much she cared for Snape? How could he know? She doubted Snape would've given something like that away…unless it was by accident, she couldn't rule that out. She couldn't allow herself to forget, Voldemort was a genius at reading people. Mis smirked, of course it was deliberate. With him, everything was a chess move, and he was looking five moves ahead. It was a good move, and Mis almost fell for it, but there was something he hadn't counted on. Mis knew him; she knew him so well…All his failings, every mistake, each strength…down to the line. He didn't know how many times she'd deconstructed his character, seeking meaning or reason in it. He didn't know she'd been laughing at his complete, hilarious lack of ability to execute a plan since she could read. He didn't know that she knew everything worth knowing about him…and that realization managed to bring a mischievous twinkle back into Mis's eyes while her lips stayed smugly curled. _Lets play, Snake Face._

The sparkling lights dimmed further, and Mis watch as Snake Face glided towards the French doors, Snape trailing. In no particular order, the rest of the group followed them, exiting the grand, shining room into the night. The sound of shoes on the floor, and rustling fabric seemed muted and Mis watched carefully at the somber-faced company began forming a tighter succession as the room emptied. The tension belied the silence, and Mis felt it like electricity against her skin as she followed behind them all, Draco at her side.

The crimson moon was dull and feeble in the sky, it spilled over Mis's silver dress like dark red candle wax and she could see it glazing the concrete veranda, the stone steps she descended, and the grass she walked on as she trailed behind the party. They walked away from the house in rows of three to the edge of the dead leaf littered forrest line. It was cold, and the wind had picked up to a soft breeze. Mis knew as she walked alongside Draco that this strange night would be burned into her memory. The smell of pine and firewood, the sound of a hundred footsteps whispering on the earth, and the eerie quiet that the Death Eaters maintained. Every movement of theirs seemed fluid and reverent, like dark clad bishops trudging to their stone churches on christmas eve with white incense rising thickly over a crowd gathered for mass.

Mis noticed that the company was forming a semi-circle around some kind of structure that she couldn't make out. She stretched her neck to see and, not for the first time, cursed her height or lack thereof. She breeched the barrier of bodies, and saw they were beginning to make a way for her and Draco. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy stood at the peak of the now three tiered circle and Mis could see what they were surrounding. It was a white marble coffin, not unlike the one that Dumbledore had been laid to rest in.

 _Subtle imagery, fellas_. She thought to herself mildly. Everyone seemed to know their place, and Mis quietly followed Draco to where his parents were standing in an apparent place of honor. Mrs. Malfoy was to her left and Draco to her right as the sound of footsteps ceased, she stole a glance at both people but neither acknowledged it. Mis surveyed all the people around her, their pale faces tinted red from the moonlight, all of them stoic and seemingly devoid of emotion. She felt a crippling sadness as she watched them. They were so blank, yet they moved with conviction. They'd been blinded by greed and superiority, and they would die protecting the ideas that had caused nothing but pain to the people she loved. It wasn't ignorance that kept them drenched in their ideologies, that could at least be forgiven, no, it was willful ignorance and she she hated them for it.

But there was something else, deeper than the contempt she felt and it resonated down to her marrow…agony. Agony that they would never change themselves, that they would never be able to see how wrong they were. She could fight them until her muscles withered and her mind dried up, but they would never change, and that knowledge made Mis want to sit in the corner of a dark room and give up. Her enemy was too great in numbers with their ideals were too entrenched in their stoney hearts, and Mis felt as though they were unreachable. It was a pain she'd never truly felt before, because up until that point, she had been certain that she only cared about the people whom she loved…yet in a strange way she cared for these people too. She couldn't shake the feeling that despite their heinous acts and cruelty, there was still something of value inside them, and it was worth fighting for, even if she had to fight for it alone. At that moment, Mis felt alone and as if she were the only person in the whole cosmos that gave a damn about the heartless bastards that surrounded her.

Snape whipped his arms around, viciously stirring up the autumn leaves at his feet. His wand in hand, he flourished it grandly and a bright light clouded Mis's vision for a moment. The air rustled impatiently as the light died away and her eyes adjusted to the dark once again. A crystal cauldron had appeared on the white coffin, along with several bundles of herbs, and a red chalice that looked as if it had been carved from rubies. On either side of the coffin were black stone pedestals, shiny like onyx and each with a creature struggling on top. Mis bit the inside of her cheek, the animals were clearly distressed and Mis had the disturbing realization that it was only going to get worse for them. On the left side was a small white bird, and a silenced but clearly bleating lamb, while on the right was a dragon egg, a phoenix hatchling covered in ashes, and a unicorn foal. The two magical animals were struggling against invisible confines, and clearly looking distressed while the dragon egg was emitting an orange glow through it's scaled cracks like a burning ember of coal.

Mis felt her stomach twist and her throat burn at the sight of the animals being treated with such cruelty, and simultaneously felt a stinging regret that this was her first time seeing any magical creatures. Voldemort stood like a shadow behind Snape, who was gracefully weaving his wand above each creature and murmuring in a harsh sounding language that Mis didn't recognize. It sounded like a Gregorian chant, ominously draping over the dark in tandem with the red moonlight that seemed to glow even brighter as Snape continued to speak. Mis was transfixed by Snape as he stood in front of the crystal cauldron which was beginning to glow dark blue like the bottom of a flickering candle. Snape picked up several of the dried herb bundles, seemingly types of dried flowers, and watched as he held them above the cauldron and wove his wand in a figure 8 pattern, causing a clear mist to fall on the herbs and dissolve them through his fingers.

Snape's face was impassive as he added several clear liquids, causing the cauldron to cast a brighter light and illuminate his face from below. After several more moments of Snape's whispering voice, he stepped aside, allowing Voldemort to take his place in front of the cauldron. His face was hidden from the hood of his cloak, but unbowed as he carelessly waved a hand in front of the small white bird, undoing the silencing charm on it. Its chirp was surprisingly merry as it hopped onto Voldemort's proffered palm. Mis's heart skipped painfully as The Dark Lord held the bird above the cauldron and revealed his bone-white yew wand in his other hand. Mis didn't have time to close her eyes before he slashed his wand through the air, slicing the bird from its neck to its belly. It warbled feebly as its dark blood gushed out to coat its pale feathers and drip between the Dark Lords merciless fingers into the cauldron.

Mis felt bile rise in her throat and her eyes prickle as the sight of the now limp bird held in Voldemort's hand. Despite the fact that Mis often boasted of her heart being cold as ice, she couldn't handle seeing any creature or person in pain. Mis watched with her heart thumping heavily as Voldemort took his bloodied hand and grasped the lamb, smearing the previous animals blood on its soft white wool. He undid the silencing charm on the creature and the dark air was pierced with its hectic cries as he picked it up and held its neck over the crystal cauldron. Mis's vision became clouded with tears as he slit the lambs throat with his wand, and its blood gushed out and splattered on the inside of the cauldron, and dripped down the outside grotesquely. The gurgling sound of the lamb as it was drained made Mis feel as though she was going to be sick, and against her will, she let out a small choked sound.

Mis felt Draco move beside her, and a moment later he took her hand in his. Unthinkingly, she squeezed it back hard, as if it were a tether to reality. She furiously blinked the tears away from her eyes. _This is a game, this is a game_ she chanted to herself mentally, she couldn't lose, she couldn't appear weak. With unblinking, but burning eyes, she watched as the Dark Lord preformed the same cruelties on the three magical creatures, all the while holding Draco's hand and praying for it to end.

The last drops of silver blood drained from the unicorn foal, and Voldemort vanished all the dead creatures away with a carless flick of his wand. The cauldron glowed a dark flickering blue that made strange shadows dance along the white coffin. Draco let go of Mis's hand and she looked up at him questioningly, he stepped forward onto the platform next to Snape wordlessly. Mis had nearly forgotten the potion also required the blood of a witch or wizard before they reached the age of maturity.

Draco stood beside Voldemort in front of the cauldron, and rolled up his sleeve exposing the dark mark on his left forearm. Mis felt a fierce need to protect him, but there was nothing she could do as the Dark Lord positioned Draco's arm. With his yew wand, Voldemort slashed a shallow slice down the length of Draco's dark mark. Mis glanced at Draco's face. He was so stoic, as though he had detached himself from everything around him. He'd offered her his hand a minute ago, trying to give her comfort in some small way and because she couldn't offer him the same thing now, she felt as though a shard of ice was being lodged inside her heart.

Blood dripped from Draco's pale arm and flowed across his palm until it fell into the cauldron. It lasted only for a few moments, but to Mis it felt like time had stopped. It was as if the entire fucking universe was hell bent on keeping its cruel fingers on the cosmic pause button just to mock the pain she felt as she watched Draco being bled.

The Dark Lord whispered something into Draco's ear, before gesturing for him to go towards Snape. Draco bowed to Voldemort, then clutched his arm and turned to Snape who tenderly removed his hand and waved his own over Draco's sliced forearm, wordlessly sealing it and cleaning off the blood. Draco nodded curtly to Snape in thanks and took his place back beside Mis. She looked up at him, wishing she could say something…anything to help, but there were no words to give. He looked down at her with an expression she couldn't read. She took his hand, and laced her fingers with his. She hoped he could see that she cared, his face remained inscrutable, but there was the slightest hint of softening in his tropical blue eyes before he turned away.

"This moon has gathered thieves before… the blood moon that turns glass back to sand, tides to droughts, and blood to wine." Snape said grandly, causing Mis to jolt at the unexpected sound of Snape's voice booming across the crowd of people. She turned to see Snape and Voldemort facing each other, the former holding up the ruby chalice.

"Hebe bid the gods to drink the nectar of stolen time, and in seeking spring again I become as they, and take my fill of that which was stolen from me…If that marks me as a thief, then a thief I shall be named." Answered Voldemort, his voice cold enough to cause a shiver to prickle the back of Mis's neck unpleasantly.

"If you should sow the grain of discontent and nurture fields with Youth's blood, you'll reap your judgment unprotected." Snape recited ominously. "The earth will spew you from its mouth when your remains are meant to rest." Snape warned, dipping the cup into the cauldron.

"There is no rest for thieves." Voldemort hissed.

"Heaven will keep no place prepared, and golden roads you'll never see. Neither will Hell seek to purge you of your sins. Blessed will be your life, but cursed shall be your death." Snape warned again, pulling up the chalice full of the vivid red potion.

"My desires cannot not abide within the gates of paradise, and I have no fear of sins

un-purified." Voldemort answered, as he held out his hand.

"Drink, thief. New blood to the old, so age will have no hold upon you." Snape said, bowing as he handed the chalice to The Dark Lord. He took it from Snape, cupping it with both of his hands and drank the bright red liquid.

:

:

:

Mis was exhausted from all the emotions rolling through her mind. She couldn't seem to detach herself as she watched in horror and The Dark Lord threw back the hood of his cloak, exposing his grey skinned, serpentine face to the red moonlight. He held his arms out to his side as if basking in victory. Slowly it seemed as though a gel-like red syrup began seeping out of the pores of his skin, making him look like a snake trapped in cherry jello.

The gel got more and more opaque until it looked like frosted red glass, and his features became obscured. There was a roaring gust of wind, whipping the groups clothes around and making everyone look like a flock of frightened birds. A moment later, Mis's vision was clouded by an impenetrable darkness that caused her to panic although she could still hear the sounds of rustling fabric, the feel of her hair whipping around her face, and Draco's hand still clutched in her own. The darkness lasted entirely too long for her liking, but eventually the light of the moon began showing itself, this time it's normal shade of silver instead of red. Mis looked up at the ritual sight, and there he was.

Voldemort had been thin and skeletal before, frail looking and sickly, but now his frame was straight and lithe like a runner's body with long toned limbs and a broad chest. He seemed to be physically in his mid-twenties, in the prime of his life…or second prime. He held up his hand in front of his face obscuring it as he twisted it in the air gracefully for inspection. Mis found herself watching his hand as well. They were long fingered and pale…they looked like artist hands; the kind more inclined to be precise rather than strong. He moved his hand down, and Mis saw his face.

Mis was surprised, because it hadn't been the kind of face she was expecting. Instead of a classical handsomeness, he had an almost pixie like appearance, with a pointed jaw and high cheekbones. His eyes were feline, and his lips fuller than typical on a man, though they were pale. He had features that, individually, would look strange on a normal face, but all together it became bewitching. Stranger still was how innocent his face looked, although it had an air of mischief about it there was something that caused it to seem inherently trustworthy, and a face more associated with a harmless kind of trickery…like Mis's own face. His hair was dark brown, and too long for his face shape in Mis's humble opinion, reaching to just below his eyes. He ran his finger through it, gracefully combing the hair out of his eyes.

He smiled…and Mis nearly choked on her own spit.

 _Stop the goddamn presses, new information has emerged…The Dark Lord has dimples when he smiles._ Mis narrated to herself. God, he was pretty… and he was well aware of it. Mis knew he was the literal devil, but he was a handsome one, and she, along with the entirety of the human population could attest to that. She didn't intend to beat herself up about finding him attractive…it was fucking biology, and 6 million or so years of evolution was to blame, not her.

 _Goddamn, I can't call him Snake Face anymore,_ she thought absurdly.

Mis was nothing if not self aware and, at that moment, she realized several things in tandem: Firstly, Voldemort was pretty damn foxy. Secondly, there was nothing she could do about that. Finally, that would most likely make things more complicated than she had previously thought. His eyes opened and were instantly focused her. Mis was alarmed for a split second, but instead of showing it she stared back with what she hoped was polite interest but overall detachment. His eyes were dark blue, dark as the night sky above her head, but Mis had the feeling that they were similar to hers in the sense that, in the sunlight, they would seem to be a different color. They were beautiful and predatory, and hinted at amusement, but there was nothing deeper, no real spark. They were empty, as if the soul that was supposed to be there simply wasn't, leaving a void in its place… and to Mis that was pitiable. However, try as she might she couldn't pity him, or care about the pain that he must be carrying.

She'd been chosen for a job no one wanted, to lead this wicked man back from the road of cruelty and destruction. Looking into his eyes, she realized that even if there was still something worth saving in him, she didn't want to save it. She hated him, and she didn't think she was capable of putting that aside, regardless of what Hecate had asked her to do. He gave her a nod of recognition she guessed, though it seemed a strange action. He held his arms up grandly and considered the group at large.

"Death be not proud, though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, for, thou art no so." He said, his voice deep and his lips curling into a crooked smile.

Mis slid her jaw…The bastard was reciting John Donne, and taking him out of context. Donne had written that about his christianity, it wasn't some goddamned ego stroking piece about triumphing over death based on your own merit. Just when Mis thought she couldn't hate him anymore than she did…He went and fucked up a perfectly good poem.

She looked at him with pure, reckless contempt; it was stupid to look at the Dark Lord in such a way. He caught her eye again, and arched his eyebrow minutely perhaps curious about the rage he could definitely see in Mis's eyes. She smiled, and Mis realized she would very much like to piss him off and get him so angry his eyes turned back to red. She wanted him to get so angry he started hurling curses at her. She imagined what the look on his face would be when his magic absorbed into her without any effect. Would it make him angrier? Or would he be confused? Or fearful?

The mystery was too much for her to bear, and at that moment, Mis had a thought…A stupid thought that was more reminiscent of Gryffindor war tactics than Slytherin ones. She was going to get him angry.

 _Maybe I can get him to have an aneurysm…that would certainly simplify things._ She thought with a smirk. He probed her eyes with his own, perhaps trying to read the thoughts behind them. She felt a grim smugness that he couldn't read her mind, and felt even better when his eyes narrowed ever so slightly in what was either frustration or annoyance. He turn away from her once again and addressed the crowd.

"Look around, my followers…we are those spoken of in legend, is there any doubt of that now? Tonight, through me, you have all conquered time, who else can claim such a feat?…Gods." He said, his voice carrying across the mass of people impressively.

 _Seriously, fuck this guy_. Mis thought with an eye roll. Was he incapable of not being a prima donna? Or was that too big of a request?

"We, though are mortal, therefore are we not greater than they? Because we have done the same as Gods, and accomplished these wonders despite our limitations…limitations that they could never understand…limitations they placed upon us because they. fear. us." His words echoed through the air and above the crowd as if he were calling forth a riptide of bodies, moving and swelling with each motion he made and word he uttered. In tandem, they all cheered mindlessly.

 _I take it back, I don't feel sorry for them…they're too stupid to save._ Mis thought in annoyance. The level of melodrama in the Dark Lord voice was laughable, and it took every ounce of Mis's considerable will to avoid chuckling.

 _On the upside…People's Choice award for Best Speech Given By a Raving Ego Manic goes to…_ She narrated to herself, once again nearly causing herself to laugh out loud. Voldemort basked in the approval of his supporters for a moment, before holding a hand up for silence.

"Let us revel, my friends." He said, earning another roar from the crowd. He fluidly stepped away from the ritual site, his thin black robes flowing like smoke around him. He walked with a lazy swagger that made Mis want to punch him in the face. The house, Mis noticed was back to it's warm gold glow, casting a merry light on the grass several yards away.

The company moved in tandem to follow him back in the house. She felt a stirring at her side and realized Draco's hand was still clutched in hers. She let go of it hastily, not wanting to follow him just yet, afraid that if she were to attempt to walk she would fall flat on her face.

"Are you ok, Mis?" Draco asked with genuine concern. Mis smiled up at him, and nodded.

"Oh yeah, I'm just fine…just a little woozy for some reason." She said off handedly, hoping that she was being convincing. He looked unconvinced, but she waved him off and he walked away, glancing back at her several times before disappearing in the sea of people.

The groups footsteps receded beyond earshot, and Mis was alone. Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her stomach felt as though it had flipped upside down inside her body. She vaguely realized she should probably sit down somewhere, but she was frozen in place. Her body and mind both unwilling to completely process what she'd just witnessed. She felt someone behind her and turned sharply.

"Come on, Holtzer." Snape said gently, placing a hand on her shoulder and leading her away from the ritual site. For the first time since walking outside she felt safe, and her brain permitted her to check out. She walked alongside him absently, still not really understanding her surroundings. They came to a small dimly lit rose garden to the side of Malfoy Manor, hidden from the party's view. It was well tended and peaceful, and it smelled nice, which Mis appreciated despite her current lack of mental presence. He sat her down in a wrought iron park bench, and she complied without thought. He conjured her a small glass of something that Mis couldn't bothered to identify, and nodded his head for her to take it and drink. She did. Pumpkin juice…that was nice of him, she really liked pumpkin juice, it was spicy and sweet and unlike any other drink she could remember.

"I was about your age the first time I saw the Dark Lord perform magic, would you like to know what my first thought was after seeing it?" Snape asked, his tone gentler than it normally was. Mis looked up at him and nodded. "Fuck me, what the fuck have I gotten my-fucking-self into." He deadpanned. A moment later Mis started laughing, slightly unsure as to why but it felt good, and that was all she knew. "I imagine you're in a similar headspace right now." He added conversationally.

Mis hiccuped, and realized that she wasn't only laughing, she was also sobbing. She touched the tips of her fingers to her cheek experimentally and felt the tell-tale wetness of tears. Against her will she felt her breathing hitch in a flustered sob.

"I'm acting like a total pussy." She said dejectedly as she took the handkerchief Snape was holding out for her.

"I don't consider you weak, Holzter…foolish and stubborn yes, but not weak. I'd worry about your mental state if you weren't frightened by what you just saw. For goddsake, I've been working as a spy for years, and I'm scared of what I saw." He admitted. Mis bowed her head, but he lifted it back up to look into her face. "Fear doesn't make you weak, it makes you smart." He insisted bracingly. Mis laughed and sniffled.

"You're being awfully nice to me." She observed, feeling slightly better.

"Perhaps, but no one will ever believe you, so my reputation will remain intact." He replied flippantly. Mis stared up at him, and he gave her one of his rare genuine smiles. It was comforting, and Mis was glad she had him at her side, she knew she wouldn't be able to do this alone. She loved Snape in a way that didn't quite make sense to her, and she cherished these little moments with him. She had the feeling that these were the things she would remember when she was old, and as she thought that, she felt the affection she had for him burn like a comfortable ember in her heart. Briefly, she wondered if Snape knew just how much she cared for him, but the thought had no sooner entered her mind before she turned it away. Of course he knew, they could practically read each other's minds. Mis sighed, and feeling better, she took Snape's hand and kissed the back of it then patted it affectionally. It was something her mother had alway done to say 'I Love You', and Mis wanted a way to tell Snape…Just in case he didn't know. She smiled at him, and watched his coal black eyes become uncharacteristically tender.

"Alright, come on…Let's go back inside, it's colder than a witch's tit out here." She said briskly, then snorted appreciatively at her own joke.

"A charming expression, Holtzer." Snape said disgustedly, and Mis downed the rest of her pumpkin juice in one gulp. She slammed the glass down on the table next to her chair smugly.

"Isn't it?" She asked smirking. "I've got a bunch of 'em…It's colder than eskimo pussy…it's colder than dick…colder than Uranus…colder than penguin shit…"

"I get it…You're a marvelous source of crude colloquialisms." He said, cutting her off with a hand raised in a stop gesture.

As Mis walked back into the gold lit ballroom, it felt more surreal than the first time she'd entered it. Everything was the same, as if the ritual had not taken place at all. Couples danced on the shiny ballroom floor, and people chatted with each other amiably. The only difference was him. Voldemort was sitting in a dark velvet wing backed chair with a glass of something in one hand and a very worn, antique looking book in the other. The chair was positioned in the middle of the largest wall, giving the impression of a throne room. He'd changed his clothes, and was no longer in a dark wispy cloak, but rather a simple white button up and, Mis cleared her throat involuntarily, and black pants that were a bit… on the snug side. The top two buttons of his shirt were unfastened, showing his strong looking, unblemished neck and a hint of his collar bones. Mis narrowed her eyes…where'd she seen that before?…he looked precisely like someone…

Mis realized who it was, and immediately started chuckling to herself. She felt Snape give her a look.

"Do I dare ask?" He grumbled. She tried to stifle her laughter by putting her fist in front of her mouth.

"D'you remember David Bowie…in…" She struggled, leaning on him for support. "Labyrinth?" she wheezed. Snape glanced at the Dark Lord, and cocked his head in thought.

"Minus the 80's hair and drag queen eyes…" He said in acquiescence. He looked down at her, shaking with silent laughter. "It's the pants, isn't it?" He asked mildly. Mis nodded, feeling her stomach begin to spasm painfully, and tears nearly leaking from her eyes.

"It's the pants." She confirmed, her voice cracking.

"They're almost pornographic." He commented almost in wonder. Mis chanced a look at them again.

"That just seems…aggressive, I mean it's all up in my face." She said chortling immaturely. She looked at Snape out of the corner of her eye, he looked down at her. Mis rolled her eyes soberly. "Go on…make the joke." She said waving her hand for him to get it over with.

"I haven't the slightest…"

"Save it." Mis said, cutting him off with a smirk. "In the history of the world there has never been a man that can resist a 'that's-what-she-said' joke." She said sagely.

"I do so love your tidbits of wisdom." Snape replied.

"You know what, Snape?" Mis said peppily. Snape raised his eyebrows questioningly. "This is a sign from Jesus…I was about to lose my mind from all the intensity of the situation, but the good lord threw me a life line in the form of vulgar trousers…praise God." She said with a reverent tone and a hand on her heart, followed by doing the sign of the cross somberly.

"He _does_ work in mysterious ways…" Snape deadpanned.

She and Snape walked to the side of the room, near the french doors. It was a good vantage point, she could see everything, including the wannabe Goblin King in his chair. Mis leaned her back against the wall and crossed her arms. She was pleased she didn't want to punch him in the face anymore, nope, he'd brought her too much amusement…now she just wanted to laugh at him, and it occurred to her that that was the best way to deal with people who take themselves too seriously. Besides, she figured it would probably piss him off more than punching him. He looked up from his book and scanned the room casually before he saw her. His lips curled, and Mis matched his smirk. He winked at her. Mis nearly threw her head back and laughed again. Did he expect that to fluster her or something? He was in for an evening of disappointment if he thought that would work. Mis was damn near impossible to embarrass, and when it did happen, it was always her own fault. Mis wiggled her fingers at him girlishly, hoping that he might be able to sense her disdain and sarcasm from across the room. The smirk still on his face, he turned back to his book.

"Isn't he going to introduce himself?" Mis asked Snape in a whisper.

"He's the Dark Lord, Holtzer, he doesn't introduce himself." Snape replied, his eye narrowed almost as if in wonder of her stupidity.

"I'm the guest aren't I?…" She asked no one in particular. "That's just bad manners." She added sassily.

"I didn't know you were an authority on ballroom etiquette in addition to your dizzying mastery of crass phraseology." He retorted, giving her a level look.

"Yeah, well…Jack of all trades." She replied, absently pointing to herself and keeping her eyes trained on Voldemort as if he were a dangerous animal. Mis was in a much better mood than she had been a several minutes ago, and she smiled as she got an idea in her head that would be both fun for her and possibly annoying to Mr. Ballerina Tights.

Without warning Mis latched onto Snape's arm and dragged him to the dance floor.

He tried to struggle out of her grip like a fish on a hook, but to no avail. When they were in the center, Mis stepped away with her arms open expectantly.

"Dance." she commanded. He looked at her as if she had gone quite insane.

"You _must_ be joking." He said, looking down at her as if she were a toxic and possibly lethal breed of slug; an expression of disgust and perhaps a touch of reasonable fear.

"Come on, you be Fred I'll be Ginger." She said happily, taking a step forward has he took a step away.

"I can't dance." He said desperately.

"Good…" she replied, capturing his hand a putting it on her waist, "Me neither." she added with a smirk.

Sensing that Mis wouldn't shut up unless he complied, he huffed and took her hand and began leading. He looked down at his feet as he danced, Mis giggled.

"This is fun." She commented as the danced awkwardly. Snape stepped on her foot. "Ow!" she yelped.

"Your fault for making me dance." He muttered crossly.

Mis laughed. "I'll take the blame if it makes you feel better." She said. "Keep going."

"I'll just step on you feet again." He warned.

"I don't mind." she said sweetly, her dark hazel eyes glittering with mirth.

A few moments passed in silence as they waltzed with all the coordination of drunk toddlers.

"So…should I start singing 'Forever Young' or something." She asked as the swayed and stepped across the dance floor clumsily.

"Rod Stewart or Alphaville?" Snape queried blandly.

"Alphaville…obviously." She said with a snort.

"I'd say those lyrics hit a little too close to home for…" Snape cleared his throat pointedly "…present company." He said, glancing at The Dark Lord.

"Think he's the jealous type?" Mis asked, her voice barely above whisper.

"Of course he is you little twit…What else would he be?" Snape said, his face sneering until he caught her eye. Her face was fixed into a mask of innocence, but her eyes held a positively joyous spite. Snape nearly smirked. He wasn't a man easy to impress, but he had to admit: Holtzer could be clever at times. By dancing with himself, she was simultaneously displaying herself and her indifference to the Dark Lord; twirling around in her pretty dress with a carless smile on her face.

"Is he staring?" Mis asked through a gritted teeth smile. Snape spun her around to glance at the Dark Lord inconspicuously. He was indeed staring at them, watching her like a hawk with a disturbingly greedy look in his eyes.

"Yes." Snape replied, bring her back.

"Phase 1: complete…" Mis said ominously. The song ended and Mis stepped away from Snape, scanning the room for her next victim.

"I'd go for Lucius." Snape said conspiratorially while leaning down with his hand on her shoulder. "Make sure to giggle frequently." He added helpfully.

"Noted." She said, winking at him before turning away confidently with a smile on her face. She strutted across the dance floor to where Mr. Malfoy was engaged in conversation with Draco, and stout, brutish looking man with dusty brown hair and eyebrows seemingly set in a permanent scowl. She could feel Voldemort's eyes on her as she walked, but she didn't dare glance at him, as she didn't want to shatter her air of disinterest towards him. She cleared her throat daintily when she was within speaking distance. The three men turned to her, Mr. Malfoy and Draco both with smiles and the brute with a sneer.

"Artemis!" Mr. Malfoy greeted politely, reaching out his arm and indicating for her to join the small circle of conversation. "Lovely to see you're feeling better. Draco told me you seemed a bit ill after the ceremony." Mr. Malfoy said, his blue eyes politely concerned, but also somewhat calculating. Mis laughed brightly and shook her head.

"Oh, not at all!" She insisted. "I'm afraid the issue was my shoes…" She lied easily. "Unfortunately, they're pretty… at the expense of being comfortable." She said charmingly, her dark eyes dancing. "Yet another sacrifice made on the alter of vanity." She commented with a long suffering sigh. Draco and Mr. Malfoy laughed at her, while the third man offered a blatantly fake smile.

"I've heard numbing charms can help with that particular problem." Mr. Malfoy chuckled.

"No, no. I prefer the pain, it makes me feel alive." Mis deadpanned. "I'm a masochist, you see." She added lightly.

"Most woman are…in my experience." The burly man said coarsely.

"I suspect they'd have to be if they were spending any length of time with you, Rudolphus." Mr. Malfoy said smirkingly, taking a casual sip of champange. Mis choked, then tried to pass it off as a cough. _You sassy bastard_. Mis thought appreciatively. The man, Rudolphus, looked at Mr. Malfoy with thinly veiled loathing.

"I'd've thought you'd consider most women to be sadists, Mr. Lastrange…you're married to Bellatrix aren't you?" Mis said with a bland smile, and ignoring the calm, rational voice in her head that often advised her to keep her mouth shut. There really wasn't a present need to be snarky, but Mis found that she simply couldn't help herself. Several heartbeats passed in silence before, Mr. Malfoy threw his head back and laughed loudly.

"She's got you there, Rudolphus. It would appear that we've stumbled upon a spitting cobra; I suggest you back away slowly, lest she direct her venom towards you again." He said jovially, clapping the other man on the shoulder. Mr. Lastrange glared at Mis sharply, but she could tell there was little he could do in the way of retribution, and that made her feel pretty damn good.

"Now, now. I'm sure she was only teasing…young girls love to laugh as I understand it, it's one of the more pleasant things about them…" He said to Mr. Lastrange with aristocratic charm. He turned to Mis with a crooked smile. "…and speaking of things young girls love, I have it on good authority that they enjoy dancing." Mr. Malfoy said with a cheeky smile.

Mis giggled, thoroughly charmed by him despite herself. "You're sources aren't wrong, Mr. Malfoy." She replied.

"In that case would the cobra care to dance?" He asked offering his hand smoothly. Mis smiled.

"Draco told you that I have a problem with stepping on the feet of unsuspecting gentleman, didn't he?" Mis chuckled, placing her hand in his and allowing him to lead her to the dance floor.

"I suspect the experience will be worth the bruised toes." He insisted, as he began gliding them along the dance floor. Mis giggled.

For the first several moments, they danced in silence. Mis was feeling fairly optimistic about her plan to help the Malfoy's; they seemed to genuinely like her, and although they were turning on the ritz she still had the feeling that there was more to them than they let on. She still had her guard up though, as she knew, you can never be fully certain with Slytherin's.

"I'm afraid my manners have been less than perfect, Artemis." He said in a more serious tone than she had yet heard from him. Mis looked at him curiously, slightly taken aback by the abrupt sincerity in his voice. "My wife told me what you did for our son…but I've yet to express my gratitude. I cannot begin to thank you, Miss Holtzer, there are few people who would act so kindly towards my family." Mr. Malfoy said formally. "Although I cannot repay you for what you did…I would like to try." He added in a surprisingly gracious voice. Although he seemed less than thrilled about being indebted to her, she thought he was genuine enough. She smiled.

"Mentioning repayment implies that I lost something by helping Draco, Mr. Malfoy…and I can assure you…" Mis said staring at him steadily. "I didn't lose a thing." She insisted firmly. Mis Malfoy looked slightly suspicious of her answer, perhaps he didn't think she was sincere.

"From the descriptions I've received from both my wife and my son, I had anticipated a more Slytherin answer." Mr. Malfoy hedged, watching her carefully. Mis smirked.

"A good Slytherin knows how to collect debts, a better one knows how to keep them." She replied smoothly. It was true that Mis didn't feel that compensation for helping Draco was necessary, however, having the Malfoy's feeling like they owed her something could be very useful. It was her goal to have them defer, and she intended to use whatever angle or tools at her disposal to accomplish it. Mr. Malfoy chuckled.

"It would appear that I spoke too soon." He said appreciatively. Mis smirked.

"You don't need to worry though, Mr. Malfoy. I have your family's best interest at heart." She said, watching his eyes for signs of misgivings. He did seem slightly doubtful of her words, but she couldn't entirely blame him for that, no one had ever had their backs.

"Perhaps…only time will tell." He said cryptically. His face was serious and devoid of the gaiety that had been their only a few moments before. He chuckled. "But let's not be so grim. Why don't you tell me about yourself, Artemis?" He said, the charm instantly back in place. Mis giggled, a little relieved.

"There isn't much to tell, I was born in Arizona, where I lived with my mom and dad, brother and sister." She said casually, worried about giving too much away.

"I hear there are some marvelous wizarding schools in The States, which did you attend?" Mr. Malfoy queried pleasantly.

 _Fuck-a-doodle…_

She'd been sideswiped by Mr. Malfoy's question, goddammit why hadn't she seen that coming? She didn't know any of the American wizarding school name's…there weren't any as far as she knew, which was obviously wrong. She couldn't let anyone besides the Order know she wasn't a witch, who knows how these bastards would react if they found out. It was best to keep that nugget of information heavily protected, she wanted to help the Malfoy's, but she was pretty sure they were still bigots…at least partially.

"Uh…" She stalled. The longer she stayed silent the more suspicious Mr. Malfoy would become, she had to come up with something. "I was homeschooled…mostly." Mis said her brain firing rapidly, before a proverbial lightbulb went off above her head. "Both my parent's were professors…" Mis said, trying to sound sad. "…before they died." She added somberly. How could she be stupid enough to forget the cover story Dumbledore had given her? She was related to Snape and she was an orphan, that was her story and she had to be consistent about it, no matter how cliched it was.

"I apologize, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories." Mr. Malfoy said. "If you don't mind me saying, they taught you well." He added, and Mis thought he sounded genuine. It made her feel slightly dirty to have to resort to the Pity Card, but it was all she had.

"No matter. Life is pain, and anyone who says differently is selling something." Mis said offhandedly. _Ah, the wisdom of Cary Elwes…appropriate for all occasions_. Mis thought to herself.

She and Mr. Malfoy continued to dance through another song, and after several moments of heavy silence, Mr. Malfoy decided to lighten the mood by relating a story involving a three-year old Draco, a vanishing spell and a sack of flour. Mis didn't have to fake her laughter while he was talking.

"….I finally caught the little demon by following the tell-tale white footprints on the newly waxed floor." Mr. Malfoy finished with good humor. Mis laughed loudly, her face pink from giggling so much and her eyes twinkling merrily. "Come to think of it, that might have been the first time he ever preformed magic." Mr. Malfoy said, nodding along with himself.

"Stop, stop. My stomach aches…" Mis begged, trying to keep her posture straight while her stomach spasmed.

"May I cut in?" Said a deep voice that seemed to reverberate along Mis's spine.

All the laughter dried up in Mis's throat and her eyes widened. The Dark Lord was standing behind Mr. Malfoy, and despite his more informal attire, he had a strong aura of authority surrounding him, though that was to be expected. He also had a sharp look in his fascinatingly dark blue eyes, and a smirk on his lips. He was smart, Mis had been so preoccupied with laughing at Mr. Malfoy's story she had completely forgotten where she was, or that she was supposed to be acting. The bastard had caught her off guard, and it was too late to hide that fact entirely. Hastily, she plastered a look of polite interest on her face and willed herself not to look frightened.

"Of course, My Lord." Mr. Malfoy replied smoothly, stepping aside and moving to place Mis's hand in the Dark Lord's. She jerked it away at just before she was about to touch him.

"Isn't is customary to _ask_ a lady if she wishes to dance?" Mis queried with a falsely sweet face. Mr. Malfoy blanched a color that indicated he might possibly faint, but Voldemort smirked.

"You were already dancing, so I didn't need to ask." He replied smoothly, taking a step closer to her. Mis didn't budge as he attempted to invade her personal space, and instead crossed her arms and snorted indelicately.

"Allow me to rephrase then…shouldn't a gentleman ask a lady if she wishes to dance _with_ _him?_ " Mis clarified, staring up into his face unflinchingly.

"Whoever said I was a gentleman?" He retorted, still smirking as he looked down at her.

"Touché, I merely assumed you thought of yourself as one…my mistake." She said flippantly. Snake Face chuckled deep in his throat, it was an attractive sound, Mis admitted.

"It's been quite a long time since someone chastised me on my manners." He said in amusement.

"That much is apparent, judging by your lack of introduction." Mis said tartly. She'd forgotten that she was in the middle of the dance floor, with a very frightened looking Mr. Malfoy to her right and…the entire room had gone quiet. Mis ripped her eye's away from Voldemort's and scanned the room. They were the center of a very tense attention, and now that Mis realized it, the atmosphere was…frightened. Mis smirked. This would be fun. She was gonna get his eyes to flash red if it killed her…maybe not kill her, she wasn't stupid and she had no intention of dying tonight. Her eyes found Snape's, he looked worried, but she kept her smirk in place and tried to indicated with her eyes that she had everything under control. Snape didn't seem convinced.

"It would appear that we've transfixed the room, what shall we do with all the attention?" He asked her, taking a step close enough for her to smell him. He smelled good, like cider and moss and she wasn't sure if it was cologne or just him. She kept smirking because she knew every move he made had the intention of catching her off guard, but it wasn't going to work. Sure, he was attractive, but she'd met attractive people before, more attractive than him, and he may smell nice but that was probably just to cover up the smell of his goddamned, rotting soul. His eye's were lovely, blue and dark, but cold like the deep sea, and though they were sharp with intellect, there was no kindness in them…and that made him ugly. Mis was a firm believer in the adage about eyes being windows to the soul, and his soul did indeed show through his eyes, and there was nothing she could see that made him worthy of her time…at least her genuine time, she could give him a little if it meant she was gonna be entertained.

"I know!." She said snapping her fingers. "We can reenact a scene from Romeo and Juliet." She said peppily. His smirk widened. "I'll be Tybalt, which would make you…Murcutio?" She said sweetly. She saw a muscle twitch in his jaw, she nearly laughed.

"I never was a fan of that play, perhaps a scene from The Merchant of Venice instead?" He propositioned. Mis cocked her head to one side in thought.

"No, I don't think so." She said, just to be obtuse.

"That's not a good enough answer." He commented mildly.

"I'm not bound to please thee with my answers." She retorted smoothly, then smiled, unable to stop her self. "See what I did there?" She asked smugly. He chuckled.

"Does that mean you'll be reading for Shylock?" He asked.

"No, it just means I'm committed to a good joke…or a mediocre one, whichever comes first." She replied flippantly, taking a step away from him. She glance around the room again. "We best go our separate ways… our public might faint if I continue speaking." She said, casually turning her back on his and walking towards the open french doors. "Besides, I could use some fresh air." She added, holding a hand up to him in farewell without looking back.

"I'll join you." He replied, stalking off after her, clearly displeased with her dismissal.

"Suit yourself." She said with a carless wave of her hand.

Mis walked out on the grey-stone veranda, feeling smug about getting him to follow her. The night had grown colder. The moon cast its normal silver light on the veranda, and the large grassy area beyond it as well as the distant forrest line. Mis smirked to herself, this promised to be fun, but her shoes were killing her feet and putting a damper on her cheeriness. Instead of suffering through another moment with them on, she hopped onto the thick stone banister that enclosed the veranda and kicked off the silver heels petulantly. She straightened her dress and swung her legs over the edge of the banister to swing over the open air below it, feeling very satisfied with herself. Mis glance over her shoulder. He was standing there, watching her closely, studying her. It didn't really bother her. _Let him_. She thought to herself, it wasn't like he could learn anything important that way. Mis blew a strand of hair out of her face, and turned away from him.

"You still haven't introduced yourself." Mis commented mildly.

"Neither have you." He replied before Mis heard him take several steps closer.

"You already know who I am." She said with a smirk. He chuckled.

"I'm fairly certain you know who I am as well…its seems our reputations precede us." He conceded, leaning his back next to her on the banister and folding his arms. Mis glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Before we get to why you wanted me here, allow me to get this out of the way…" She said crisply. "I'm never going to call you Lord, or Voldemort, or any other of the longwinded euphemisms that people use when referring to you. You are not my superior and I am not one of your subjects…We clear?" Mis said in a bored voice, glancing down at him to see if she'd gotten a reaction. He sniggered.

"My, my…such venomous words from such a pretty mouth." He said making his voice low. Mis raised an unamused eyebrow.

"Yes, I already know I have pretty lips…but it'd be just stellar if you could try and focus on what's coming out of them." She said acidly, annoyed and insulted that he would try such an obvious distraction tactic on her. "…And for future reference I would advise you against empty flattery…I don't really respond well to it." She added, glaring daggers at him. He smirked and leaned up towards her ear.

"What do you respond well to?" He whispered, brushing the back of his finger along the exposed skin of her upper arm. "Poetry perhaps?" He questioned. Mis felt like an idiot, he was trying to piss her off…she mentally kicked herself for getting annoyed and abruptly changed mental gears. She gave him a look of mock interest, and smirked.

"Off you go." Mis said imperiously. After the bastard screwed 'Death be not proud' earlier, she was curious what else he could get wrong, despite herself. "I'll give you a hint…If you quote even a single line from Sonnet 18, I'm leaving, because frankly, I really don't have the time for any Shakespearean ambiguity." She said mildly. He chuckled and leaned in close enough for her to feel his breath flutter her hair.

" _Her dancing eyes like emeralds shining bright,_

 _her forehead ivory white,_

 _her cheeks like apples which the sun hath ruddied,_

 _her lips like cherries charming men to bite._

 _How the red roses flush up in her cheeks,_

 _and the pure snow with godly vermeil stain,_

 _like crimson dyed in grain:_

 _That even th' angels, which continually about the sacred altar do remain_

 _forget their service and about her fly,_

 _often peering at her face, that seems more fair,_

 _the more on it they do stare."_

He had the perfect voice for poetry, confident and clear, but soft enough to make a listener want to lean in closer as if hearing a secret. He was attractive on every level, except the one that really mattered, and Mis thought that was a damn shame. She cleared her throat pointedly and he leaned away from her, a smug look on his face. Mis looked at him and blinked slowly.

"Edmund Spencer, huh?…not a bad choice I guess. You kinda screwed the meter at the last four lines though." She said, just to be an ass. "There's a pause after "which continually", if you ignore it, there ends up being less evocative punch for the "sacred alter do remain line…" She explained in a bored voice. "…but…ya know…it's poetry so there's a lot of different vocal interpretation from person to person." she added with a shrug. The Dark Lord leaned his elbow on the banister at a 90 degree angle and rested his temple on the open palm of his hand, looking up at her playfully. It was a move that slightly took Mis off guard, he looked very young when he did it, almost childlike.

"You know, I've know you for less than twenty minutes, but I'm fairly certain I understand you quite well." He began, sounding pleased with himself. "I'll grant you, your acting is better than most. You hide behind a sharp tongue and a pretty smile to avoid seeming weak, but unfortunately for you…I've observed your weakness." He taunted. Mis narrowed her eyes at him, but kept her mouth shut. "I've been watching you since you walked into this manor. I saw you charming the Malfoy's, and playing nice with my Death Eaters…but most importantly I saw you with Severus." He hissed. Mis felt her heart pick up speed, and her muscles go numb. "Whenever I spoke to Severus, or touched him, you seemed to be rather… _furious_." He said with a terrifying smile that twisted his handsome features. "Even now, you look like you'd very much like to harm me just because I'm talking about him." He said in a thoughtful voice, he chuckled. "I understand, I think we're rather similar to each other; we don't like other's touching what belongs to us…do we?" He asked her in the same voice one uses when talking to a small child. Never in Mis's 17 years of life had she felt such blind rage. She was angry at him for noticing her attachment to Snape, and even angrier at herself for allowing him to see it. She should've been more carful, she should've watched herself. She didn't know what to do, her mind whirled trying to think of a way for her to regain the upper hand, she kicked herself mentally, she'd never had the upper hand, she'd underestimated him and now she was screwed…she'd screwed herself… she was both the screwer and the screw-ee. Funny enough she didn't blame him, he was playing the game and, at the moment, he was winning. She didn't know what to do, so she picked a safe option…she kept her damn mouth shut.

"You seem to be at a loss for words, I don't blame you for that…I'll just do the talking, but before I begin I'd like to say…you look adorable when you're furious." He said with a wink. Mis swallowed and stopped herself from punching him in his smug ass face, she had to calm down.

 _Don't get angry…anger makes you stupid, so don't get angry, simple as that_. She thought to herself rationally, but it didn't calm her down at all, she was seeing red and she didn't know how to stop it.

"Here's what I want from you, _Artemis._ I want to know how you brought Sirius Black back from the dead, and if the answer is satisfactory, I'll make you an offer. You'll join my ranks, and be my second in command after you pledge your loyalty. I sense a greatness in you and you could be an excellent leader if given the opportunity." He said, his voice clear and factual. It was true that Mis didn't respond to empty flattery…about her appearance, but when someone recognized her ability to lead…she found herself pleased with the compliment despite herself. The satisfaction of his praise lasted no more than a moment in her brain before she recognized what he was doing…He'd already read enough about her to find her other, unspoken weakness…her pride. She mentally shook herself, now was not the fucking time to dwell on a fatal flaw, she had to be in the present moment, and try to find a way to avoid his attacks. There was a crack in her defense and…

It felt as though a lighting bolt struck her brain, shocking it back into working order.

 _The best defense…is a strong offense._

He knew her weakness about Snape, but she knew his…she knew his biggest secret…his horcruxes. Mis smiled to herself, before swinging her legs around to the other side of the banister so they were facing the same direction, she bent one knee and rested her cheek on it casually, then looked up to find him staring at her blankly, possibly wondering why she seemed so calm now.

"You know what's always bothered me about your process, _Tommy?_ " She asked lightly, feeling satisfied when she saw his jaw twitch in agitation at the use of his old name. "You get all the monologues." She said, her tone indicating that she was appalled with that injustice. "That's just not fair…I like hearing myself talk just as much as you do." She said calmly, as if she were explaining something inane to him, like the difference between margarine and butter. "So, for once, the bad guy (that's you)…" she whispered confidentially. "…is gonna be subjected to a nice little monologue given by yours truly." Mis said sweetly. She hopped off the banister crisply and stood tall as she could, right in front of him. She radiated an aura of smugness that clashed with his own…it was a battle made of smirks and overconfidence, and she had the floor. "You may have figured out my weakness, but you attacked it too soon, a surprisingly Gryffindor-esque move…and a little disappointing if I'm being honest, but then you always _have_ underestimated certain people, haven't you?" She taunted with a smile. She paced away lazily and chuckled, hammin' it up as best she could. "I know things about you, Tommy, _every_ thing if you wanna get technical… and if I were you…I'd be a little more carful about what I said." She warned pleasantly, looking at him over her shoulder.

He stood stiffly his arms folded defensively, and Mis could see his eyes were flashing.

"You don't know anything." He scoffed, with narrowed eyes. Mis laughed loudly, feeling fantastically maniacal and positively gleeful. The rational voice in her head told her to back off, but she was too angry and enjoying his anger too much, so she ignored it.

"Let's see, correct me if I get the list wrong…" She said sarcastically. "…a diary, a ring, a locket, a cup, a tiara, Professor Quirrell and…" Mis cocked her head to one side in thought, pretending to forget the last horcrux for dramatic effect. She snapped her fingers "…and a snake." She said nodding along with herself. "Nagini's her name, right?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "And yes, I know what they are." She said smirking.

"So what's to stop me from killing you, and turning you into a pretty, young corpse?" He asked in a dangerously low voice, pushing himself off of the banister casually and taking a step closer to Mis. She snorted.

"Oh, so big bad Tommy's out to play, huh?" She taunted. "Good, I like this better than that poetry bullshit you tried to pull, at least your honest now." She said flippantly. "You won't kill me because I'm valuable." She said simply. "I have knowledge that by all rights I shouldn't have, right? And what _is_ knowledge?" She asked him. "Power." she said with a shrug. "And I have it on good authority you have quite the power complex, so I'm placing my bets on that." She said staring at him steadily. Faster than Mis could react, he grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from the party's view, spinning her around and pinning her to the manor's stone exterior with his forearm flush against the wall next to her head. Mis gave a small startled yelp.

She dropped her hands to her sides, her right hand ready to hike her skirt up to retrieve one of the daggers at her thigh. He towered over her, blocking out the light so all she could see was his face very close to hers.

"You really are a little viper, aren't you?" He asked, his voice surprisingly even. "I won't begrudge a viper her venom…especially considering you're having such a marvelous time giving it free reign. I know you're a member of The Order of the Phoenix, and I know you're attached to them…but tell me…" He said, brushing a finger along her cheek. "Do they trust you to make decisions for yourself, or do they treat you as an innocent, young girl? I see what you are, and it reminds me of myself at your age…full of something wild, something that they'll never be able to understand…your different from them, you may try to be one of them, and you may long for it, but they will never understand you…not like I do…you love this, you love playing the game." He whispered. Mis payed close attention to what he way saying, carefully turning it over in her mind. There was truth in it she couldn't deny, she wasn't like them, and she never could be, she was from a different world all together. She smirked up a him. She may not be like them, and they may never be able to understand her…but she didn't mind.

"You don't have to understand someone in order to love them, Tommy." She said, before shoving him out of her space roughly. She chuckled to herself, as she casually walked away from him. "Sorry, didn't mean to use one of your trigger words." she said over her shoulder. She bent to pick up her shoes. "I may have over stayed my welcome, so I guess I'll be going now…Perhaps we'll meet again, and maybe next time you won't prod this "Little Viper." She said smugly, and left him on the balcony.

Barefoot, she walked back into the manor, blinking into the gold lights. Adrenaline was coursing through her body, making her feel giddy and trigger happy. She spotted Snape. And strode over to him with purpose. He looked furious, as furious as his stoic face could. She grabbed him by the arm.

"We have to go." She said urgently, glancing over her shoulder at the french doors, wondering if the Dark Lord was going to follow her and finally curse her…or try to.

"What did you do?" Snape gritted out, his eyes looking ready to shoot fire and incinerate her.

"Let's just say I might have been a little…ummmm…unpleasant, and _he_ might have not appreciated it." She said quickly.

"Artemis?" Came a soft voice that made Mis almost jump ten feet in the air. "Are you feeling well?" Mrs. Malfoy asked with concern, coming into Mis's view. Mis didn't have time for formalities.

"I'm feeling a little under the weather, I think, so I was just telling Sna…Severus that I think I should go home." She lied as politely as possible. Mrs. Malfoy placed the back of her hand on Mis's forehead maternally.

"Hmmm, you do feel a bit warm, dear…perhaps it's for the best." She said nodding. Mis laughed a little hysterically.

"Yeah, yeah…guess it's all the dancing or something….not that I didn't enjoy myself, 'cause I really did, honestly…" Mis babbled, Snape gave her a sharp jab in the ribs covertly. Mis cleared her throat. "Right, we'll be going, tell Draco I said bye, and Mr. Malfoy…I mean Lucius, tell him too. Ok, bye." Mis said, feeling extremely concerned that she was finally going off the deep end. Snape sensing a hysterical episode brewing, nodded to Mrs. Malfoy, grabbed Mis's forearm and led her away without drawing any unwanted attention. Mis's mind was blank, she was vaguely aware that he said some parting words to the both Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, and put a cloak around her shoulders.

She was preoccupied with panicking.

 _Why did I do that? what was I thinking? how much have I fucked everything up?_ Were several of the questions going through Mis's mind.

"Holtzer!" Snape barked. Mis had a moment of clarity. How had she gotten outside? How long had she been walking…barefoot on the gravel road leading away from Malfoy manor.

"Snape…I…" Mis started, but she didn't know what to say. Her brain had been stupid with anger as she'd spoken to Voldemort and now she was regretting it with every fiber of her being. "Oh sweet Jesus, Snape!" She said in horror. "I swear to god, I was possessed…I called him Tommy, Snape! Tommy! I didn't know what the hell I was doing, he just made me so mad, and then I tried to make him mad." Mis said, gripping Snape by the arms and shaking him violently. "Oh, God! I fucked everything! How am I ever going to get the Malfoy's out of there now, and you?…He's gonna put me on the hit list Snape! What am I gonna do?!" She asked him desperately.

"Holtzer!" Snape bellowed, gripping her shoulders tightly. Mis stopped talking and stared up at him fearfully. "First, you've got to pull yourself together." He said calmly. "Take a breath…I can assure you, if it had gone as bad as you seem to think it did, you wouldn't have been able to leave…did he try to curse you?" Snape said firmly. Mis shook her head. "Then you didn't make him that mad, he wouldn't have hesitated if you had really angered him, Holtzer…He was playing with you, ok? Now will you stop mentally imploding?" He asked. Mis blinked several times.

"You think he was just testing me or something?" Mis asked hopefully. "You mean, I didn't fuck it up?" She said, letting Snape's words soak into her brain.

"I don't think so…but knowing you, it still could be a possibility. We'll just have to wait and see." He shrugged. Mis narrowed her eyes at him.

"You're being awfully calm about this." She said accusatorially.

"Well, one of us has to be…" He replied with a tired sigh.

Mis and Snape drove back to Grimmauld place, Mis feeling more emotionally exhausted than she'd ever been in her life. What she wanted more than anything in the world was to get out of the silver dress, lay on the couch with Sirius and Remus and fall asleep to the sounds of trash TV. They pulled up to the curb outside of Sirius's house.

"That sucked." Mis said after they both got out of the car.

"I'd say that's an accurate assessment." Snape confirmed grimly. Mis smiled weakly.

"Thanks, Snape…for taking care of me." She said sincerely, looking up into his coal black eyes.

"You're welcome, Holtzer…but if you ever… _ever_ put me in that position again, I will kill you, and I won't even feel guilty about it." He said sourly. Mis smirked.

"Never make empty threats…they make you seem weak when you don't follow through." She mocked.

"Shut up, Holtzer." He muttered, before disapperating. Mis sighed heavily as she looked at the door leading to Sirius's house…at least she was home now, and that thought made her smile to herself contentedly.

.


	16. Just a Little Viper

**Thanks for everyone that's following and reviews, y'all are awesome!**

 **Yes, we all know I suck at updating regularly...you have my eternal apology. Anyway, I hope everyone likes this chapter, and remember to leave a review to tell me what ya think.**

 **SushiZombie123: I'm so glad you like the musical references. My family is a bunch of weirdo music nerds and a lot of the arguments that Mis and Snape have are from actual arguments I've had or heard, and I'm so happy someone else has them too! Also, I will do my best to supply as much sass as possible.**

 **Guest: You're wonderful, thank you so much! I love writing interactions between Mis and Snape, they're so much fun and so easy to write, they practically write themselves. Don't worry, this story will not die, I've got plenty things still do to with this one. :)**

 **HypocriticalCommunistFromSpace: I'm glad you like my characterization of Snape. I've always felt like he'd have a colorful vocabulary, but he reigned it in for the kids, haha.**

 **Temperest: Thanks so much, I'm glad you're enjoying the story, cuz that's my goal.**

 **Final word: Excuse the grammatical and/or spelling errors.**

 **Disclaimer: Obligatory 'I don't own Harry Potter' Message.**

 **Chapter 16: Just a Little Viper**

"Sirius…you're breaking me." Mis croaked as Sirius hugged her tightly, one arm around her middle, crushing her ribs, and his other hand pressing her head against his chest as if she were an infant. He released her, but Mis was hardly able to take a breath before she was passed over to Remus like a doll and given another bone crushing hug. It hurt, but in Mis's opinion there was no better way to sustain an injury than by aggressive hugs. She laughed softly at them, and felt a tenderness in her heart that they had worried for her so much.

"I'm so glad you're alright." Sirius said as Remus released her. She felt mentally drained and weak from all the stress of the evening, but seeing Sirius and Remus made her feel as though she could brave a hundred more nights just as awful if it meant she would be with them at the end.

"Tell us everything." Sirius commanded sternly, as if he were an old biddy waiting to hear the latest gossip.

"I'll make tea." Remus stated quickly, clearly just as curious to hear what Mis had to say. "Go change, wash your face, it'll be ready by the time you get out." He said waving her up the stairs, and sounding frighteningly like her mother. Mis smiled mutely, and nodded before walking heavily up to her room and closing the door behind her. She just stood there for a moment, her back resting against the door, the beautiful silver dress still on her, and the Satan Heels still in her hands. She breathed out, and for the first time in nearly a week, she didn't have any anxiety pressurizing her lungs…and that felt great. She smiled to herself softly. She was home, and everything was going to be ok. She dropped the shoes carelessly and stripped out of her dress and the emerald necklace that Sirius had given her, the former left in a heap on the dark-wood floor and the latter safely tucked away in the writing desk. Next she shed the small dagger-strap from her thigh and threw it on the nightstand. Finally, she peeled off the lacy white underwear set, groaning at the euphoric feeling of being rid of the itchy fabric. Feeling positively giddy, she put on comfy underwear, sleep shorts and a large grey t-shirt, deciding against a bra, as frankly, her boobs had been imprisoned for too damn long already. Besides it wasn't as if Sirius or Remus would care…The three roommates had developed a very loose set of personal boundaries that Sirius constantly violated seemingly on principle. Personal space was apparently a foreign concept to the grey eyed marauder, though Mis wasn't very bothered by it, but Remus…suffice it to say he wasn't keen, as he was not a person who's very touchy Mis had noticed. She padded into the bathroom and washed her face and sore feet, before going into the kitchen which was wafting the comforting scent of tea.

She sat down in the silent kitchen next to Sirius who already had a mug in one hand and a butter cookie in the other. Remus placed a steaming mug of spice tea in front of her, as well as a small plate of cookies. Mis felt like crying with joy as she took a bite of one and chased it down with the wonderful tangy tea. A moment later Remus sat across from her and Sirius. Both turned to look at her expectantly.

"Well…I met him." Mis stated blandly, taking another sip of tea.

"And…?" Sirius prompted, waving his hand for her to continue.

"I called him Tommy and schooled him on poetry recitation." Mis said, her voice detached and casual, but internally she was still slapping herself for being so reckless. Sirius, who had been unfortunate enough to take a sip of his drink while Mis was talking, spewed it out of his mouth, giving the table and Remus's own plate of cookies a lovely mist of spit and tea. Remus looked down at his cookies in disappointed resignation.

"You called him what?" Sirius sputtered.

"I'm not sure whether I should be impressed or concerned." Remus said mildly, slowly moving the plate of tainted cookies away from himself and taking one from Mis's plate wordlessly.

"He was really puttin' on the charm too, quoting Edmund Spencer at me…"

"What did you do?" Sirius demanded, cutting Mis off mid-sentence. "He didn't touch you did he?!" Sirius asked, firing up and looking murderous.

"The son of a bitch slammed me against a wall, but I shoved him off and basically told him to go fuck himself when he tried to pull 'No-one-really-understands-you' trope." Mis said disgustedly. Sirius clenched his fists tightly, and he pinched his lips angrily. Mis looked over at him tenderly. She smiled and patted his shoulder, trying to calm him down. He softened beneath her touch and turned to look at her, his grey eyes lit with certainty.

"It's alright now, Mis, if it's in my power you'll never have to see him again." Sirius said with conviction, reaching up to grasp her hand on his shoulder briefly. "The bastard would have to go through the entire Order to get to you…provided you don't go looking for trouble again." He said sternly, clearly still very pissed about her going to Malfoy Manor in the first place. Mis sighed and dropped her hand to run it through her hair fretfully.

"I don't know…I don't think I've seen the last of him…" She said heavily, shaking her head. She looked up at Sirius "…but that's not even the issue. We just have to keep him away from Harry, he's in far more danger than I am." Mis insisted. She looked between Sirius and Remus. "I promise, I won't let him get anywhere near Harry, Sirius. I'll protect him as best I can." She said with conviction. Sirius's eyes softened.

"I know you will, Mis, but that doesn't mean you have to go throwing yourself in harms way." Sirius stated gently, giving Mis a small smile.

"Wow…" Remus muttered. "You feeling alright, Padfoot?…I mean, that was such a reasonable statement, full of logic and temperance. It's mildly shocking to me, considering I practically had to tie you down, in order to keep you from storming Malfoy Manor." He said, taking a sip of his tea. Mis's neck cracked as she turned slowly to look at Sirius.

"Sirius Black…" Mis ground out as if it were the dirtiest word in the English language.

"Tattletale." Sirius muttered at Remus, before turning to look at Mis with a look of innocence. "Come on, love, he's exaggerating." Sirius said with a nervous laugh, waving his hand at Remus as if the werewolf's words held no validity. Remus cleared his throat.

" _I'm going, and you can't stop me…Mis could be in danger…I'll take the fuckers out with my bare hands_ …Those are direct quotes, if memory serves." Remus said, doing a high mocking impression of Sirius's voice. Mis huffed in annoyance, and smacked that back of Sirius's head crisply.

"Christ, Sirius! I outta put you on a goddamn leash, did you learn nothing from your time in the freaking underworld?!" She demanded of him, as he rubbed the back of his head and leaned away from her wrath. "I can't go and get you a second time!… imagine that conversation with Hecate: 'yeah, sorry 'bout this goddess, but Sirius is here, so would it be cool if I break the laws of life and death _again?'_ " She said her voice bright with false pep. "Blood of the martyrs!" she cursed in annoyance.

"I know, I know…" He said quickly. "I'm sorry, but I can't think clearly when someone I care about is in danger." He said meekly. Mis glared at him harder. She blew air out of her nose like an angry bull.

"Goddammit, Sirius, don't say sweet things when I'm pissed off…it makes me not want to be pissed off, which pisses me off." She said, before giving up on her anger and shaking her head with a small smile. She couldn't stay mad at him.

"If you smile that means I'm good, right?" Sirius asked half joking. Mis couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, yeah, Lassie." Mis said rolling her eyes. Mis's stomach growled angrily. She put her hand over it, slightly impressed at the loudness of it.

"So, can we eat now?" Sirius asked the room at large. Mis looked at Remus sharply.

"You didn't feed him?" Mis asked indignantly. Remus leaned across the table toward her slightly.

"You realize he isn't actually a dog, yes?" Remus asked her confidentially.

"No, I consider him to be more like a toddler." Mis informed Remus. The werewolf chuckled.

"You know it's the funniest thing, but at time's he does feel like a son to me…an old, pathetic son, who is a constant strain on his father's mental health." Remus said thoughtfully. Mis snorted.

"Hey!" Sirius said, affronted, though not upset enough to stop eating his butter cookie.

"I feel the same way, Moonshine. He's like my child, I've gotta cook for him, clean his house, make sure he has clothes on…" Mis listed.

"Screw the both of you." Sirius mumbled crossly.

"Is that any way to speak to your parents?" Remus teased lightly before giving Sirius a stern look. Mis laughed.

"Yeah!" Mis chimed in. "I brought you into this world Sirius and I can take you out of it." She threatened. Sirius rolled his eyes, but smiled a moment later.

"It's alright, Mis, he's just going through that late-thirties rebellious stage." Remus pacified her sagely. The three of them laughed, and Mis felt some more of the tension in her shoulders recede and the tightness in her chest loosen. Her troubles were briefly forgotten as they spent the rest of the evening laughing, teasing each other, and jumping from topic to topic without any real consideration of purpose or importance.

A while later, the three of them migrated to the comfort of the living room, while Sirius flipped through the tv looking for something scary to watch…as it was still Halloween. They finally settled on some early 60's creature feature about a werewolf and a vampire. Remus thought it was the single funniest thing he'd ever witnessed, and Mis thoroughly enjoyed watching him get such a kick out of the misconceptions that muggles had towards magical beings.

Mis was sitting on the end of the couch, her legs folded under her and her shoulders nestled in a thin green throw cover. Sirius sat next to her and Remus next to him, it was a tight fit, but still cozy. Mis glanced over a Remus and Sirius, and nearly choked on her own spit. Sirius had his arm around Remus's shoulder, and Remus had his leg thrown over Sirius's. Mis turned away, feeling that if she looked directly at them she'd start squealing from the adorable display.

"You two look comfy." Mis commented slyly. She got two noncommittal grunts in reply. Unable to stop herself, she turned to them again, an intense look on her face. "So, have you two ever dated?" She asked abruptly, trying to make it sound like she was joking, but in reality she was genuinely curious. They both turned to look at her, entirely too calm.

"Yeah, for a couple months in 6th year, wasn't it?" Remus stated in factual voice. Sirius shook his head.

"No, it was 7th I think. Remember? we were distracting the entire school from their N.E.W.T's." Sirius said with a chuckle. Remus laughed too.

"Oh, that's right." Remus nodded.

Mis simply stared at them for a long time, her brows straight and her face emotionless, trying to figure out whether or not they were screwing with her. She searched their faces, looking for any indication that they were kidding, but she saw none.

"I fucking knew it!" She exclaimed suddenly, clapping her hand, making the two men jump and look at her in annoyance. "You have no idea…you guys have no idea, how many people would die to hear what I just heard." She said heavily, rubbing her temples as if the conversation was too intense for her to handle.

"Who would possibly care about our ridiculous teenage fling?" Remus asked in disbelief.

"Side note: that sounds like one of those lighthearted LifeTime movie's, with a bittersweet ending." Sirius interjected. "Our Ridiculous Teenage Fling." Sirius said, spreading his hands in front of an invisible billboard. Mis looked up at them, and held up a finger threateningly.

"If you two are making this up, I will skin the both of and turn your hides into a cape and boots." She informed them with an even voice. Both hastily held up their arms in mock surrender. Mis smiled at them, and quickly clutched her knees to her chest and rested her chin on top of them.

"So did you guys ever…" Mis asked, winking pointedly. Remus coughed.

"No! We were only 17!" Sirius exclaimed, affronted. Mis rolled her eyes.

"Well that's no fun." Mis muttered. "Could've given me _something_ interesting…" She said trailing off.

"Bloody voyeur." Sirius said fondly. "I'm so proud." He said ruffling her head.

"How about you, Mis…Have you ever been in a relationship?" Remus asked curiously, casually keeping the conversation going. Mis shook her head.

"Nah, I've never really found anyone that makes my heart pick up, you know? I mean I've been attracted to people before…but I've never actually felt that spark." She said thoughtfully, before she chuckled. "My mom said I'd fall in love with the first man I couldn't beat in an argument." The three of them laughed at that.

"Well, I suspect you'll be alone forever in that case, because I truly cannot imagine you losing a fight of any kind." Sirius deadpanned.

"There's a compliment in there somewhere." Mis said with an eye-roll.

They continued to chat, with Sirius directing the conversation with idea's about Harry's room, and whether or not Harry would like the house, and if Harry really did want to live with him. After about 25 minutes or so of his babbling Remus held up a hand tiredly, pausing Sirius from continuing.

"I love you, man, but you really need to chill." Mis said subtly. Sirius looked at her with his eye anxious and unsure.

"Harry's going to love it here." Remus said as if that were painfully obvious. Sirius didn't look convinced. Remus snapped his fingers, Mis looked up and she could see an idea had occurred to him. "We should throw a housewarming party, it'll give Harry a chance to see the place." Remus said pleasantly, totally ignoring Sirius and looking over to Mis, whose dark hazel eyes lit up with excitement.

"That'd perfect, that way we can show off all the hard work we did. I'll cook some good old fashioned comfort food…it'll be awesome!" Mis said happily, already excited at the prospect of having everyone over for dinner.

"That'd be brilliant, I can ask Harry what color he want's his room to be!" Sirius exclaimed. Mis felt her heart warm, and she smiled at Sirius's enthusiasm. It was all coming together, she'd make sure they would be happy…as long as she was there she would do everything in her power to make sure they got a chance to be a family.

Mis sighed heavily as she woke up from her dream, staring into the peaceful darkness of the room around her. She had expected the orange grove dream to stop after meeting him for some reason, but nearly two weeks into November and it still hadn't left. It wasn't frightening any longer, more than anything it irritated her, because she would fall for it every time. She'd lean back into a solid male chest and feel so comfortable, and then she'd see the sickly grey arms around her waist and always wake up a moment later.

She sat up in bed and hugged her knees to her chest, resting her forehead on top of them as if trying to curl away from the troubling dream. How was she supposed to do what Hecate asked? She didn't even know where to begin…He was The Dark Lord, and there was no changing that. He'd never give in, even if it were for his own benefit. Mis felt as though she was adrift on a dark sea, without stars to guide her or even an horizon line…she had nothing to go on and no way to proceed. She regretted making that promise to the goddess. Not only had she agreed to attempt an impossible task, but it was a task she didn't want. She felt no pity for him, only contempt and disgust for what he was…what he'd always been. Mis threaded her fingers through her dark hair fretfully, and looked up at the ceiling. That wasn't entirely true…She hated who he was now, but that quiet little boy in the garden with his snake…She wanted to help him. If only she could compare the boy to the man she'd met in some way… if she could find anything that was reminiscent of that child in the man, then maybe she'd at least have some motivation to try and show him the right way. She mentally compared the eyes of the Dark Lord with the eyes of the little boy. They had been precisely the same in color, a dark, fathomless blue like a glass-still sea reflecting the night sky above it, but they were strangely lighter in the boy, almost starry with pale light flickering in them, hinting at a still intact soul. The boy's eyes had not been innocent though, they were too sharp and intelligent to be considered childlike. The man's eyes…they'd been so empty, except for a sparkle of humor, but it wasn't a good humor, it was predatory; the kind of humor that taunts without affection to soften it. There was nothing for her to latch on to, no sliver of goodness to make her want to help him…

 _Do you believe in magic, in a young girl's heart?_

 _how the music can free her whenever it starts…_

 _and it's magic…_

Mis's head snapped to the backpack thrown on the chair in front of the writing desk. She stared at it, listening to her ringtone, before throwing the covers off and leaping out of bed. She didn't know how the hell her phone could possibly be ringing, it had long since died…so how? Hectically, she rummaged in her backpack until she found her phone and slid her finger on the screen to answer it.

"Hello?" She answered urgently, feeling weirdly exhilarated.

"Artemis, there seems to be a problem…" Came Mrs. Weber's rasping smoker's voice through the speaker.

"Ok…" Mis said skeptically, still entirely too focused on how it was possible that she was talking on a dead phone. "Wait…just, before you tell me how I screwed up this time, can you just explain how in life's fuckery is my phone working?" Mis said, appalled and impressed in equal measure.

"I have my ways, Mis…" The old woman said with a sigh of fatigue.

"If you want this conversation to proceed, you're gonna have to condense that statement from the vapor of nuance." Mis said feistily. "You do realize, that you could be a goddamn billionaire if you marketed this _transcendental phone charging_ thing…so like…patent that or something, and gimme some of the cut, I should be getting hazard pay." Mis quipped shrewdly. Mis heard the old woman click her lighter, take deep breath and blow out.

"Firstly, don't take this the wrong way, dear, but sometimes you really don't know when to stop talking. Secondly, You're in a world where magic exists, is your phone working really that remarkable? …and thirdly, you're in the midst of a war, Mis, soldiers don't get hazard pay." Mrs. Weber said mildly. Mis leant against the writing desk and folded her arm, with an eye roll.

"Fair enough." Mis mumbled.

"You've got a problem, Artemis." The old woman said sternly, now that she had Mis's attention. Mis snorted.

"Just one?… by my count, I've got about 10, all at critical level." Mis grumbled. "Why don't you ever call me with good news?" Mis asked in agitation.

"You know what, Mis? I'd love to be able to call you with good news, but unfortunately that just doesn't seem to be in the stars for either of us, does it?" Mrs. Weber retorted, with another deep drag. "You remember The Deathly Hallows? The final book? Well, a while back it changed; shifted from Harry's perspective to Tom Riddle's…it's no longer the Deathly Hallows, it's now titled The Last Enemy…"

"Hold on, hold on…Does Harry still fail? You said bringing Sirius back would rectify that!" Mis exclaimed into the phone. Mrs. Weber huffed.

"I can't tell…the book is mostly blank…almost as if _someone_ can't make. up. her. mind." Mrs. Weber said pointedly. Mis paused, not sure how to answer for that. It was certainly true, she couldn't make up her mind, and she hated it. She'd made a promise, but she knew now that it was a promise too quickly made.

"Why are you not fulfilling you're promise to Hecate, Artemis?" The old woman asked sharply. Mis sighed and sat down on her bed, leaning her elbows on her knees and putting her head in her hand.

"I don't know how…" Mis admitted dejectedly. "Where do I even begin? I was told this was the only way to save as many lives as possible, but I don't know how to do that." Mis said wilting under the pressure she felt.

"I don't think that's your problem, dear. If you _wanted_ to fulfill your promise you'd find a way." Mrs. Weber said, her voice gentle but firm. Mis's head shot up.

"No…" Mis said slowly. That couldn't be true…She wanted to help The Order in any way she could. Mis felt her heart harden. "You know what, Mrs. Weber, I'm sorry, but I'm not one of those 'We Are the World' people who believe love can heal the wicked. People don't change unless they want to, I'm fighting a losing battle." Mis said coldly.

"Oh…" Mrs. Weber said as if new information had just emerged and taken her off guard. "I didn't know you were capable of seeing all means and ends, Artemis…Do you think I could get next week's lottery numbers?" The old woman said sarcastically. Mis kept her mouth shut, she'd clearly pissed Mrs. Weber off. "Did you think this was going to be easy?…that you'd just be dropped into a world that wasn't your own without anything being asked of you in return?!" The old woman demanded of her. Mis felt her anger rise.

"I'd do anything for these people, I don't care what the price is, I'll give anything to have them safe and happy!" Mis insisted, stung that Mrs. Weber would even question her loyalty to them. Mrs. Weber sighed.

"I know you love them, Mis, I know…but this is the price you must pay for them. You have to look beyond what you perceive of Tom Riddle, you have to look beyond his darkness. If you save him, you save them all, dear. You want to win the war, Mis, but you're not there to win a war, you're there to end one." The old woman said, her voice gentle and understanding. Mis felt her breath hitch and her eyes sting.

"I can't…I can't forgive him, and I don't want to." Mis said, her voice quavering pathetically. "Even if I did, it's still impossible to save him…I-I can't lead someone who doesn't want to follow." Mis said, feeling tears leak from her eyes. She felt hopeless and frustrated. How was she the only one who saw that this was beyond her ability? Her body and mind were being bombarded by emotions, she felt righteous in her hatred of Voldemort, but also like a failure for not being able to accomplish the goal she was given.

" And what if he _does_ change?" Mis asked incredulously, her voice cracking. If he felt remorse and his soul knit itself back together and all the blackness was driven from his heart, what then? If everything happened the way Mrs. Weber and Hecate wanted…what was the wizarding world supposed to do with him? If he was lucky they'd throw him in Azkaban and be given the dementor's kiss…his soul would be devoured and lost yet again. If he wasn't so lucky, the pain of the remorse and regret would destroy him. Whatever Mis did, it would all be in vain, and that was if the plan worked, if not then she was back to square one…Destroy the horcruxes and defeat him the old fashioned way.

"You know what you're biggest problem is right now?" Mrs. Weber asked. Mis sniffled.

"What?" the girl asked meekly.

"You're looking too far ahead of yourself." The old woman stated. "Tomorrow has enough troubles without you adding any worry to it. Give the horizon a glance, but don't fixate on it, or you'll find yourself tripping on the stones in your path."

Mis listened to Mrs. Weber's words, it was good advice… _damn that old bat_ , Mis thought pettily. It was good advice, but Mis didn't know how to follow it.

"I don't know what to do." Mis said simply, feeling that shame of that statement crowding her throat and sting her eyes again. The old woman chuckled.

"You know why I chose you, Mis?" Mrs. Weber asked casually.

"Because I was a teenage recluse who needed to get out more?" Mis supplied with a sniffle.

"No dear, I chose you because you know the value of small acts of love. The little things that go unnoticed unless you have a keen eye for them, you know how precious they are. Love works best in little ways, in the mundane things people do to show they care." Mrs. Weber said gently, and Mis could hear the smile in her voice, and somehow that made her feel a little better. What the old woman said was true, Mis believed that any silly little action could be beautiful if love was what motivated it. Mis sighed and wiped the back of her hand against her damp cheeks.

"So, what you're saying is: I need to start small?" Mis asked the woman.

"Yes, dear. Show him the little things." Mrs. Weber confirmed, the smile still in her voice. Mis took a deep breath in, and nodded once.

"I can do that." Mis said, trying to convince herself more than the old woman on the phone.

"I know, Mis…I know."

She'd made a promise, and Mis's word was her bond…if trying to save the Dark Lord meant the she could protect everyone, then she was gonna do it, or die trying. She had to.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to pay Tommy another visit…Jesus, Sirius is gonna kill me." Mis muttered, shaking her head.

"I have a feeling he'll find you, dear. Remember to be cautious, don't forget who he is, but do not withhold kindness…there is never any harm in acting kind, even to people that don't deserve it." The woman said sagely.

"Yeah, yeah." Mis said flippantly.

"Get some rest, dear, you'll need it." Mrs. Weber said ominously.

"Oh, thanks, that's really comforting. Precisely what I want to hear before going to sleep." Mis said sarcstically.

"Goodnight, Mis."

"Goodnight…" Mis replied. She hung up. "…old bat." Mis said without malice.

Mis woke up, and immediately knew it was too early for her to be conscious. The light was only a dim blue coming through her heavily curtained window. She rubbed her eyes and attempted to open them all the way. Mis immediately sat bolt upright in bed, the house warming party was set for today. Mis giggle to herself happily, and hopped out of bed with much more enthusiasm than normal. After washing and drying her hair, she threw on a pair of jean shorts and a plain white v-neck. She checked her phone, and laughed again happily. It was fully charged, that old bat was a beautiful creature Mis thought to herself, even if she was the arbiter of bullshit redemption missions. Mis hadn't had the chance to listen to music in what felt like forever. Snape had a record player back at Hogwarts, but 90% of his musical tastes were crap in Mis's opinion, so she was thrilled to have her own collection back. Mis climbed down the stairs and into the brightening but silent kitchen. She smiled proudly at the room.

"Peaches…" Mis cooed, walking over to the window above the sink. She looked inside the terrarium to see the little snake curled around a branch perch, sleeping. "Wake up." She coaxed, slipping her hand inside to pat the snake's little head. After a moment of prodding, the snake begrudgingly slid on Mis's hand before curling around her forearm, settling in place comfortably. With her companion in place, Mis went about straightening up the kitchen and gathering all the ingredients and apparatuses she needed for cooking. She searched through her phone for the playlist she listened to when cleaning her room back home, and played it through the phone speakers, making a mental note to purchase some proper speakers some time in the week.

By 8, Sirius and Remus had woken up, and both were infected by the flurry of pleasantness that Mis was exuding. She was singing at the top of her lungs along with Billy Joel, and incorporating various whisks and spoons into her choreographed kitchen dance routines, which unknown to them, was actually an exact rendition of the Uptown Girl music video. Her hair was in a knot at the base of her neck, and although she was a little sweaty from cooking, she looked happy, with her dark eyes holding laughter and color high on her cheeks.

"Sirius?" Mis called, as she sliced up apples for the pies she'd decided to make on a whim. Mis wasn't a brilliant cook or baker, but she was capable of making some American classics.

"Yeah?" He shouted back.

"Get in here, I need you." She said.

"Why?" He whined loudly. Mis rolled her eyes but smiled, she could hear a soap opera playing from the television in the living room, and deduced that Sirius was unwilling to leave it at that moment.

"I need your mouth, tell me if I put too much cinnamon on the apples." She yelled. Remus peeked his head in, looking agitated.

"I've got this bloody report for Dumbledore due tonight, and hearing you two shout like carnival barkers isn't conducive to focus." Remus said disdainfully, walking into the kitchen with a roll of parchment in his hand and his wand out, using it as a pen. Mis snorted.

"I didn't tell you to procrastinate, Moonshine. What is it anyway? The report about the werewolf pack from Kent or wherever?" Mis asked him absently, as he sat down across from her at the table as she continued to slice apples.

"Yeah, that's the one, really fascinating stuff too…Most of the pack meetings they either complain about the upcoming full moon, or else discuss what to have for dinner…I'll give you an insight into the werewolf mind, it's always steak. Creatures of the night, indeed." Remus said in disgust, looking down at the parchment as if it had sinned against him in some profound way. He glanced up at Mis. "…And perhaps you didn't tell me to procrastinate, but it was rather difficult to concentrate while you were at a goddamn Death Eater party…And it's taken me 12 bloody days to get over the stress." He muttered crossly. Mis looked up at him, Remus usually wasn't so sharp. She furrowed her brow at him, studying him for a moment. He looked pale and there were dark circles, almost like bruises, around his bloodshot eyes. Mis took a sharp intake of breath, the full moon was only a couple days away. She remembered hearing Remus saying something about it several days ago, he'd made a point to apologize in advance for his behavior.

"Hey, Moonshine." Mis said, leaning across the table to prod him in the forehead. He looked up in irritation, his face fixed in annoyed inquiry. "I got some chocolate if you want." She said, with a small smile. His eye softened considerably, before looking down.

"Sorry, Mis. I'm putting a real damper on your fun, aren't I?" He asked with a bit of sad humor.

"It takes more than a grumpy werewolf to put a damper on me." She said proudly, with a smile. She went to the cabinet and pulled out a dark chocolate bar that she'd been planning to consume on her next PMS day, but Remus definitely needed it more, so she didn't mind. She slid the bar towards him silently. He chuckled.

"You take good care of us, Missy." Remus said gently. Mis beamed at him.

"That's what my family calls me!" Mis said, surprised at how happy she was to hear the nickname.

"Pain in the ass is what I call you." Sirius said jokingly, finally pulling himself away from that stupid soap opera and walking into the kitchen.

"Pain in the ass is what you should call Remus…he's the one you dated." Mis said suggestively. Remus snorted after taking a bite of chocolate. Sirius sent her a glare.

"You called for me?" Sirius said imperiously, choosing to ignore her cheeky comment.

"Right." Mis nodded. She hand him a fork and offered the bowl of apple pie filling to him. He looked smugly over at Remus as he speared an apple slice.

"She trust's my palate more than yours." He mocked subtly, before taking a bite. He chewed contemplatively for a moment before he started hacking and sputtering.

"No, I think she just likes me better…she doesn't subject me to her culinary experimentation." Remus said dispassionately, watching Sirius cough. Mis ignored them, and bit the inside of her cheek.

"So…definitely too much cinnamon." She muttered to herself.

"I prefer to think of it as too few apples." He said sagely. Mis snorted.

"Thanks, Confucius." She answered, before blandly handing her glass of pumpkin juice to Sirius. He snatched it away from her hectically and gulped down the contents in three giant swallows. He gasped for air after draining the glass and looked up at her.

"There are easier, and less unpleasant ways to kill me, Mis." He said, his voice choked.

"No one ever died from the cinnamon challenge." Mis muttered, before pausing and cocking her head to one side in thought. "At least I don't think so…" Mis said distantly.

"What's the cinnamon challenge?" Remus asked, pulling Mis from her contemplation.

"Where I come from, it was this thing where people recorded themselves trying to down a tablespoon of cinnamon." Mis explained, going back to slicing apples to even out the filling.

"To what end?" Remus asked in disbelief. Mis shrugged.

"I don't know, Remus, the internet defies explanation, it's a fuckin' mystery wrapped in an enigma…with a lot of porn." Mis explained casually. Remus shook his head as if the whole conversation was lost on him, and went back to hunching over his report. Sirius leaned against the table next to Mis, his arms crossed and covertly snagging plain apple slices when he thought Mis wasn't looking. Remus let out a frustrated growl, as he continued to write. Mis and Sirius glanced at each other simultaneously before fixing the werewolf with calculating stares. He needed to be cheered up, and they both knew it. Mis perked as an idea occurred to her. She cleared her throat.

"So, I invited Tonks, you know…just FYI." Mis said, trying and ultimately failing to sound conversational. Remus's head shot up to stare at her as if her words had carried an electric current. His eyes lit up like a kerosene lamp, full of hope and warmth. It lasted only a moment before he righted himself. Sirius looked between Mis and Remus, dying to hear the werewolf's reply. Remus looked back down at his report.

"No one likes a meddler or a matchmaker, Miss Holtzer." Remus said in annoyance.

"But everyone likes to get laid, Mr. Lupin." Mis retorted crisply.

"I'm too old for this…" Remus muttered, shaking his head.

"You're thirty-seven, Moonshine, and I haven't seen you trying to catch any early-bird specials at Denny's." Mis scoffed. Mis took a step back and stared at him with a critical eye. "Is that what you're wearing tonight?" Mis asked with a raised eyebrow. Remus was wearing a olive cardigan with frayed ends, khaki pants that were too big and were hiked up too high on his waist. Mis looked at him in pity. He looked like a high school chemistry teacher. Remus furrowed his brows. "Walter White before the meth…" Mis mumbled under her breath, too low for anyone to hear.

"Yeah…" He said slowly. "Why? it's what I always wear…What's the matter with it?" Remus asked, looking down at himself trying to decode the issue with his clothes. Sirius pulled out his wand, and flicked his wrist. A small, colorful burst of confetti blew out of the tip with a crack, and gently floated down to dust Remus's hair and shoulders.

"Congratulations, you're the most oblivious man that's ever lived." Mis said in a voice so dry, it would've made Snape proud. Remus closed his eyes slowly, slightly impressed by their flawless coordination, but entirely unwilling to show it.

"Where do you two find the time to come up with these little routines?" Remus asked, brushing the confetti from his body. Mis smirked and silently went back to her apple pie filling.

"We're strictly improv, Moony." Sirius supplied, helping himself to more apple slices.

With the pie baking, and Mis desperately trying to not burn the fried chicken she'd decided to make, she heard Sirius and Remus descend the stairs after about 15 minutes of arguing in the former's room. Mis looked up, half agitated that she had to shift her concentration from cooking. Sirius stood in the threshold of the kitchen, wearing a Zeppelin t-shirt and black jeans, looking very smug. Mis knew why he looked so pleased with himself when she saw Remus step in. She did a double take. He was…kinda hot. He had on a dark pair of straight legged jeans, a plain white t-shirt and an open plaid shirt. His sandy hair combed away from his thin face, looking a little pleased and a little annoyed. He had his hands in his pockets, his back hunched as if slightly embarrassed.

"Damn…" Mis said in awe. Sirius swaggered over to her, a cocky smirk in place.

"Pretty good, right?" He asked, poking her in the ribs. Mis nodded, gobsmacked. "See Moony? Stick with me and you'll render all woman speechless." He said proudly, gesturing to Mis as if that was all the proof he needed.

"Well done, Lassie." Mis said, clapping the man on the back. Mis just kept staring at Remus, he really looked great, and Mis found herself very excited to see Tonk's reaction to him.

"Ok, ok… no need to gawk." Remus said humbly, though he did look happy with their reactions. Sirius tapped Mis on the shoulder, she leaned her ear closer to him, not taking her eyes from Remus.

"Is that supposed to be smoking?" Sirius asked her, pointing to the chicken on the stove. Mis gasped and whipped around.

"Rat's ejaculate!" Mis cried, waving a pot lid over the smoking food.

"I don't believe I'm familiar with that phrase." Remus said mildly. Sirius laughed. Mis ignored them and inspected the chicken.

The chicken ended up being a little on the crispy side but still good. Comfort food was easy, and Mis knew her cooking limits so she'd kept things simple with sides of mashed potatoes, mixed autumn vegetables, and salad to give the illusion of a balanced meal. The Order members started arriving as the sky turned a rosy gold and Mis was finishing up plating the food when she heard a knock at the door. She heard Sirius open it and the subsequent cheerful, loud voices of the Weasley's filling the house with their greetings. Sirius led them into the kitchen speaking animatedly to Mr. Weasley, who was already asking questions about all the muggle appliances Mis had bought.

"It smells absolutely wonderful." Mrs. Weasley said appreciatively, before turning the corner and entering the kitchen with her family in tow. Mis smiled warmly at the woman. "Oh, Mis! Did you cook, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked, bustling over to the girl.

"I did, but it's nothing fancy." Mis assured her bashfully.

"I can't remember the last time I ate a meal I didn't cook myself." The elder woman said, surprising Mis with a gentle hug and pat on the cheek. Mis laughed.

"I figured as much." Mis replied breaking the embrace.

"Pretty, and able to cook, when are ya gonna marry us, Mis?" Fred asked flirtatiously from across the room.

"Yeah, we're well established." George chimed in. Mis was about to flirt back at them, when a booming familiar voice barked into the kitchen.

"Shut up the both of you! Save your adorable jokes for after the war." Mad-eye said brutishly.

"Feeling good today I see, Peggy." Sirius muttered mildly, everyone chuckled.

Mad-eye rounded on him, and held up a threatening finger.

"Don't you call me that, boy!" Mad-eye barked back. Sirius looked affronted.

"Why is she the only one who gets to call you Peggy?" Sirius asked in outrage, pointing to Mis accusatorially.

"Because I can't hex her mouth shut, but I bloody well can do it to you." He said dangerously. Sirius rolled his eyes and said no more on the matter. Several minutes later, Dumbledore arrived in periwinkle robes that Mis promptly complimented him on, earning her a chuckle and an affectionate tap on the cheek. Along with Dumbledore came, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Macgonagall, Kingsley, and Tonks. Dumbledore sensing Mis's question informed her that Snape would be stopping by for a short time later, but he was extremely busy with Order business. Mis felt a shiver of worry, she hadn't seen Snape in nearly two weeks, not since the night of the party. She'd even written to him several times, though she'd only gotten short replies in his thin, sharp hand-writing. She was anxious for him, she didn't know what he was doing or if he was safe and that nagging feeling hadn't left her all week. Besides that she missed him, she wanted him near her or somewhere she knew he was safe at least. Mis spied Mrs. Weasley bustling over to her and abruptly put a warm smile on her face, she was determined to make this event a happy one.

"Mis, you haven't met my youngest yet…Ginny, dear." Mrs. Weasley called to her daughter, placing a hand on Mis's shoulder and guiding her away from the food she was still plating. Mis noted that Ginny was quite pretty, with deep red hair that flowed to her waist, a round face, large brown eyes and, as expected, was around four inches taller than Mis.

"Ginny, this is Artemis Holtzer…" The woman introduced her daughter to Mis. Mis smiled brightly, wiped her hand on the dish towel she was carrying and offered it to the girl happily.

"Nice to meet you, Ginny, you can call me Mis. I've heard a lot about you." Mis said smiling. Ginny looked down at Mis's offered hand, studying it for a moment before shaking it with a skeptical look on her face. Mis had the feeling she was being inspected by the girl.

"You're not that scary…Ron said you were intimidating but I don't see it, and Mum said you couldn't follow orders." Ginny deadpanned. Mrs. Weasley smacked her daughter's arm in agitation. Mis nodded her head thoughtfully.

"Wow, way to throw your family under the bus." Mis commented with a laugh. Ginny smiled for the first time.

"So, how old are you?" Ginny asked curiously.

"Turned 17 in July." Mis answered. Ginny nodded.

"But you can't do magic." The redheaded girl stated for clarification.

"Nope." Mis said

"Why?"

"Long story."

"How'd you get here?"

"Longer story."

"What was You-know-who like when you met him?"

"Ginny, would you quit with the bloody third degree." Ron said in agitation from where he sat next to Sirius and Harry. The girl looked cooly at her brother.

"Shove it Ronald, she doesn't mind." Ginny spat back. Mis snorted.

"I really don't have the vocabulary or time to denote all of the character flaws that creature possesses…Suffice it to say he was a major douchebag." Mis answered with a casual wave of her hand. "But I'm sure you already knew that from that whole diary thing." Mis said. Ginny nodded with a shrug.

"Is it true you punched him?" Ginny asked curiously. Mis squinted.

"Who said I punched him?" Mis asked in disbelief.

"Sirius." Ginny shrugged

"Figures." Mis muttered. "No, I didn't punch him, but I did shove him and call him Tommy." Mis said, trying not to sound smug about it. Ginny nodded again.

"Cool." Ginny said finally in appreciation.

"Thanks, I try…" Mis said. "Any further questions?" Mis asked the girl.

"I'll let you know." Ginny replied with a smile that softened her light-brown eyes. Mis laughed. She instantly liked Ginny, probably because she reminded her of herself…Sort of brash, but genuine with a confident aura. Mis could tell they would be friends.

Mis accepted when Ginny and Hermione offered to help her set the table, though she ran Mrs. Weasley off, the poor woman needed a bit of relaxation. The three girls chatted amiably about upcoming midterms, Ginny somewhat hectically on account of her looming O.W.L's. Ginny abruptly went quite, before softly hitting the back of her hand against Mis and Hermione's shoulders. Both girls turned to look at the redhead curiously, before following her line of site. Remus and Tonk's were standing at the far end of the kitchen…looking as if they were having a cozy conversation. The three girls unconsciously leaned closer to each other.

"Think Tonks has a snowballs chance?" Ginny asked them in a whisper.

"Oh, I hope so." Hermione said, watching Tonks and Remus fondly.

"Wait, you guys know about that?" Mis asked, shocked.

"We would have to be blind not to see it." Hermione said mildly.

"Plus, Mum's been talking about it non-stop for months…I think she's living vicariously through those two because she's so incensed about Bill proposing to Phlegm." Ginny said conspiratorially, making sure to keep her hands busy setting the table to it didn't seem like she was staring.

"Why do you two hate her so much?…I mean Fleur isn't that bad, is she? Kinda sucked at the Tri-Wizard tournament, but I always thought that was because she wasn't all that interested, you know? She was like… busy being French or whatever." Mis mused aloud. The two girls stared at Mis.

"We do not hate her." Hermione said with dignity. "She'd just… a difficult person to like."

the bushy haired girl hedged. Ginny shushed them and pointed at Tonks and Remus. Mis squeaked in glee. Tonks was laughing hard at something Remus had said, a moment later she punched him in the arm playfully.

"That is the cutest thing I've ever seen." Hermione said, so intensely it could be mistaken for anger. Remus looked unsure and stepped slightly away from the laughing woman. The three girls gave identical huffs of outrage.

"I ought to just strangle Remus." Ginny said, putting her head in hands morosely.

"Get in line." Mis muttered, glaring at the werewolf.

"Poor Remus, he probably thinks it's just a crush, plus he's a werewolf and it would be extremely taboo if he were to marry or even date outside of his category…Which is complete rubbish! It's not his fault he was bitten." Hermione said passionately. Mis and Ginny nodded in agreement.

"What're we whispering about, ladies?" Sirius said, standing behind Mis suddenly and looking expectant.

"Love and folly." Ginny supplied blandly. Harry and Ron walked over as well, clearly curious about the somewhat suspicious looking group of people staring at Remus and Tonks.

"Ah, you mean the two pitiable individuals across the room?" Sirius asked gesturing to them with a drink in his hand.

"What are you lot talking about?" Ron asked, entirely too loud. The four people waved their hands and hushed him simultaneously. They wordlessly pointed to Remus and Tonks, who were talking in a rather more formal way than before.

"Am I missing something?" Harry asked Sirius, with his brows furrowed in confusion.

"Most of your brain, I'd wager." Hermione said without malice. Mis snorted. Poor Ron and Harry still didn't get it.

"Tonks and Remus are currently spinning on the proverbial merry-go-round of 'will-they-won't-they?'" Mis explained. The two boys looked shocked.

"You're kidding." Harry said in awe. Unbeknownst to Remus and Tonks, there were currently six, extremely nosy people staring very intently at them, watching their every move.

"What are we gonna do about 'em?" Mis asked her companions.

"Lock them in a broom closet?" Ginny suggested.

"Bit extreme." Hermione deadpanned.

"Desperate times…" Mis said.

"How about we keep that one in the back pocket?" Sirius advised soberly. Everyone nodded their heads. Remus suddenly glanced their way suspiciously. The 6 of them scattered like roaches in the sunlight, all going different ways, trying to look innocent. No one saw Remus roll his eyes, and go back to talking with Tonks.

After a pleasant dinner, blessedly devoid of war talk or planning, Mis was doing the dishes while humming to herself softly.

"Mis!" Called Sirius, before she heard him walk into the kitchen. "I've found someone to beat you at chess."

Mis perked up immediately always thrilled with the idea of a challenge. "Oh?" She said arrogantly with a chuckle. "Bring it on. I'll be done in five."

Mis stared at the chess board with grim intensity, she'd underestimated her opponent early on and now she was reaping the whirlwind because of it. She'd only been playing Sirius recently and she figured that had made her go soft.

"She appears to be a bit befuddled, ladies and gentlemen…she stares at the pieces, a young general sending her troops into what is sure to be a bloodbath of epic…"

"Would you quit that freaking commentary, Remus?!" Mis barked, cutting him off. Everyone stifled laughter in their fists, keen to avoid the girls wrath, but unable to stop themselves from laughing entirely.

"She's edgy, folks. Could this be a symbol or sign of her impending demise?" Remus whispered, and the table had to redouble their efforts to avoid laughing. Mis huffed and shook her head. Finally, she decided to castle her king.

"Hmm, yes, an inoffensive move to be sure, but how will it be met?" Remus narrated thoughtfully. Mis rolled her eyes, apparently being a sportscaster was Remus's unspoken dream or something. Mis looked up as Ron considered her move. He had his chin propped on his fist, looking mildly interested, but mostly untroubled. Mis had nothing personal against Ron, but at the moment he was winning and she hated him for it. He was a damn good player, but Mis had sheer determination on her side, plus she'd had several bets placed on her in good faith. Mad-eye, Remus, Hermione, Fred and George had all staked several galleons on her to win, while Sirius, Harry, Ginny, Bill and Dumbledore had put their money on Ron. The rest of the Order, who considered themselves too mature to place bets on something so inane, merely watched on, unable to detach themselves from the intense aura that was practically darkening the table around Mis and Ron.

"Avenge me, Ron." Sirius whispered, clapping the redhead on the back proudly. Mis shot a glare at both of them…she had to find a way to win. As any Slytherin knows, there's a fine line between cheating and playing dirty. Cheating involves deception, but playing dirty, well, that's just distraction, two totally different animals.

"I won't let you down, mate." Ron confirmed grimly, giving Sirius a curt nod. Mis smiled, there was always a sure fire way to distract a male.

"You're kinda cute when you're focused, Ron." Mis said innocently, cocking her head to one side and smiling flirtatiously. Ron's hand faltered as he was about to make his move, he looked up at her and blushed a violent shade of red from his neck to the tips of his ears. Mis raised her eyebrows as if she was concerned for him.

"Ron…"Sirius said in a warning voice. "Ignore her, Ron, she's trying to use her feminine wiles on you." Sirius he said sternly, and shooting Mis a dirty look. Mis narrowed her eyes at Sirius.

"Objection, your honor! Lassie's coaching the defendant." Mis said slamming her hand on the table dramatically, and looking at Remus.

"Sustained…you can't do that, Padfoot." Remus said nodding along with Mis.

"Objection to Remus being the judge, he has a conflict of interest!" Harry exclaimed in outrage.

"Pipe down, or you'll be held in contempt of court." Hermione said primly. Mis snorted.

"What the hell are you lot even talking about?" Ginny asked squinting at them in confusion.

"Apparently, we've all seen too many episodes of Law & Order." Mis supplied with a chuckle. Mis was satisfied with her distraction tactic, so she shut up after that and allowed Ron to make his move.

"Rook to A7." He said thoughtfully. Mis had to restrain herself from flipping the table. Of course he'd seen a hole in her castle defense. "Check." He said smugly, leaning back and crossing his arms.

"There is a flame, nay! A desperate blaze in the reigning champions eyes, surely she must see that whatever move she makes her soldiers will be cast away like pawns on the alter of her blood lust…Slaughtered mercilessly on the field of black and white." Remus said, his voice deep and somber.

"They _are_ pawns, Remus!…and if you keep doing that they won't be the only things slaughtered tonight." She threatened, grinding the words out between her set jaw. All the spectator's laughed again. Mis stared at the board intently for several moments before she saw it…Ron had his king under heavy protection with pawns and bishops crowding it and preventing any useful movement. He'd boxed himself in, if she sacrificed her last rook she'd be able to create a hole and then checkmate the king with her bishop. It was perfect, she just needed to keep her face straight long enough to pull it off…not that she really needed to, Gryffindor's hardly ever call a bluff. Keeping her face frustrated and troubled she threatened his queen with her own to create a diversion and move a bishop out of the way. They each moved several pieces into position for their respective plans, Mis having to be carful to avoid another check. Mis nearly laughed maniacally when he still didn't see how close he was to being beaten. She threw her rook out into the mid-board and prayed Ron was foolhardy enough to take the bait…Her prayers were answered, he stole it away, and Mis bowed her head, to the room it appeared she'd accepted defeat, but in truth she was trying not to laugh.

She looked up at Ron, and without taking her dark hazels eyes away from his own blue ones, she moved her bishop into the final position. She cleared her throat.

"Check. Mate." She said forcefully.

The entire table erupted in deafening shouts of glee and horror. Sirius slumped in his seat, his face down on the table and looking incredibly dejected. It took Ron a moment to process what hat just happened, but when he did he surprised Mis by smiling and standing up with his hand outstretched for a handshake.

"Good game, Mis." He said graciously. Mis laughed with good humor and shook it.

"You know, it's not as fun when your opponent is such a good loser." She said teasingly.

"I'm aware." He said with a smile.

"Come on, cough up those pretty little galleons." Said George, snapping his fingers at Dumbledore, Sirius, Harry, Bill and Ginny. Grudgingly, they did as they were told, Dumbledore entirely too pleasant about it.

"Am I the only one who found that last move oddly arousing?" Fred asked the table at large.

"Nope." George confirmed, shooting Mis a wink. The entire table groaned at their flirtation, but Mis laughed lightly.

"Cut it out, you two fiends, Mis will not marry until after she turns 40." Sirius said sternly, only half teasing. Mis raise an unamused eyebrow at him.

"I suppose I have no say in this?" Mis asked him.

"Correct." He replied with a decisive nod. Hermione and Ginny giggled.

"Hush, same goes for the both of you." Sirius added for good measure, pointing to the other girls. Mis noted, with a smirk on her face, that that statement had shut them up quickly.

"What about Harry?" Mis demanded pointing at the messy-haired boy indignantly. Harry shot a glare at Mis, clearly displeased about being dragged into this particular conversation.

"Harry's a man." Sirius said with a shrug. "There's a difference." He finished with a snort.

" _Excuse me?!"_ the three girls said in synchronized outrage. Sirius realized his mistake instantly, but before he could amend his statement there was a shockingly loud wail that cut through the pleasant atmosphere. Mis's hair stood on end as she saw Harry doubled over, clutching his forehead in pain. Sirius reacted first, spinning around on his seat to face Harry and clutching the boy's shoulders.

"Harry? Harry?! What's wrong?!" Sirius demanded desperately. Mis jumped up from her seat and ran to the other side of the table, not knowing what the hell to do. Everyone converged, swarming the boy while he groaned in pain and rocked back and forth on his seat. Mis watched him, his eyes shut and his face compressed into lines of pain.

"Give him space." Mis commanded shooing everyone out of his general vicinity. Mis looked back down at him again as she heard him take a shaking breath. He breathed heavily for a few moments before looking up. He stared at her, his green eyes teary from the pain of his scar.

"Are you ok?" Sirius asked, brushing the messy black hair away from his eyes tenderly and inspecting his face.

"He's got Professor Snape…He was really angry, Snape was being tortured. Voldemort kept asking about, Mis, but Snape wasn't talking at all. He was just laying there, with his face bloodied." Harry said in a rush. Mis felt a spike being driven through her chest, and fear the likes of which she'd never felt turned her blood cold. Her hands started shaking. She lunged and grip Harry's shoulders roughly.

"Was he alive?!" Mis demanded, her heart pounding painfully as she stared into Harry's bright green eyes.

"I think so, he was definitely breathing…"

"I have to go…I can't stay here." Mis said cutting Harry off. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Mis…"

"Let go of me, Sirius! He needs me, he could be dying!" She yelled desperately, looking around wildly at everyone.

"Miss Holtzer, please calm down, we cannot proceed with panic clouding our judgment." Dumbledore said calmly. Mis rounded on him.

"Fuck your judgement, I'm going this second and damn anyone who tries to stop me." She spat viciously. She had a single thought in her mind and nothing else in the world mattered. Snape was hurt, and Mis felt like a caged animal, she needed to get to him.

"Mis, it could be a trap, he could be trying to lure you there." Remus said urgently trying to make her understand.

"I don't care! Get out of my way!" She demanded.

"I'm not letting you go there alone!" Sirius said fiercely.

"Neither am I." Remus nodded.

"We're going." Fred said, with George nodding.

"So am I." Said Tonks. Mis stopped and stared at them in shock, her heart pounding. She didn't trust herself to speak so she simply nodded. They all gave her small smiles.

"The rest of us will hold down the fort." Mad-eye declared, and the remaining Order member's nodded.

"Wait, how in the bloody hell are we going to get there, since Mis can't apperate?" George asked. Sirius smiled.

"We fly." He shrugged. "I reckon it'd be the fastest way." Mis took a shaking breath and prayed that whatever magical interference she had wouldn't apply to brooms.

"Take my Firebolt." Harry said to Sirius, looking troubled. Sirius turned to his godson.

"Don't worry, pup, we'll be fine." He said, pulling the boy in for a hug and gripping him fiercely. Mis ran up the stairs a moment later, retrieved the daggers resting on her nightstand and strapped them to her hips with a leather belt. She didn't have the luxury of crying just yet, she'd have to keep it together long enough to do what needed to be done. Her hands shook as she exited her room, and saw her five companions ready and waiting to leave, broomsticks in hand.

"You're riding with me, love." Sirius said lightly, before catching a glimpse of her face. He took one of her ice cold, shaking hands in his steady ones and squeezed it. "Hey, we'll get him back, Missy. We will." He promised. Mis looked up into his grey eyes and saw the determination there, and she trusted it because that was her only option. There was no room for doubt in her mind.

"You're right." She said nodding, her voice foreign to her own ears. The six people walked out the door and onto the dimly lit London street. They all mounted their brooms, in a tense silence that weighed heavily on Mis's ears. Mis prayed hard that this was going to work, she never knew what magical object would work for her and which ones wouldn't, she briefly made a mental note to investigate her abilities when she returned. Sirius patted the area of the broom in front of him, indicated that Mis should climb on. She swung her leg over the broomstick and felt Sirius place an arm around her waist and the other on the broom stick in front of them both. Mis heart skipped to her throat when the broom slowly rose into the air. She wobbled on the broom, trying to balance herself with Sirius's help.

"Lean forward." Sirius said. Mis did as told and all together, they shot upwards into the dark night.

"Severus…" The Dark Lord purred, a light sheen of sweat on his forehead and a slight color to his cheeks. "I never thought you'd betray me…and for what? A little girl?" He tsked, walking around the crumpled bloody figure on the stone floor of the basement. The torchlight danced upon The Dark Lord's healthy skin, making him look like a beautiful demon reveling in hell. He knelt down, close to Snape's face, which was shockingly white with one eye sealed shut and blood trickling down over his cheek. Voldemort yanked Snape forward by his sweaty hair and looked at him in disgust. Snape bit his lips shut to keep from making any noise, he wouldn't give the bastard the satisfaction. "Are you thinking about her right now? Dreaming that she'll come for you?" Voldemort asked gently, relaxing his hold on Snape's black hair, and simply supporting his head softly. "Do you ever dream about her…in other ways?" Voldemort asked in a smooth voice. Snape's stomach swirled and bile rose in his throat. "Do you think of her the same way you thought of your little mudblood?" He asked pleasantly, brushing the man's hair away from his face to look into his one open coal-black eye. "I bet you do…I'd wager all the Galleons in Gringotts that you've imagined her writhing beneath you…begging for you to go faster." He whispered in Snape's ear. Snape was well aquatinted with hatred, but he'd forgotten that it feels like a sandstorm through your veins, absorbing the blood and turning it thick; racing to the heart and turning its beat into stoney grind. Snape reared back and spat in the Dark Lords face and would've happily died with the twisted mask of disgust that covered it as his last sight.

The Dark Lord stood up, and wiped the spit away from his cheek.

"I imagine you have many regrets in life, Severus…" The Dark Lord said calmly. "None of them will remotely compare to the mistake you've just made." He said, looking down at the man with loathing.

"My only regret is that I haven't done that sooner." Snape choked in a weak voice.

"Crucio." The Dark Lord whispered.

The basement rang with Snape's howls of pain, the walls ricocheting the sounds and adding to his voice. Snape's body was seizing on the hard stone floor, his joints cracking in protest as they twisted beyond their natural scope, and to the Dark Lord, there was no sweeter music in all the world.

"I'm never _ever_ doing that again." Mis groaned, as her stomach heaved again. Being up so high and with nothing but Sirius holding her as a support system had not agreed with Mis. If the good lord had wanted Mis to fly, he would've put wings on her back. She took several deep breaths, powering through the nausea that was rolling around her stomach and walked towards the large black gate the surrounded the Malfoy Manor grounds.

"What's the plan?" Sirius asked grimly. Mis turned, and noticed everyone was staring at her as if she knew what the hell she was doing. _How should I fucking know?_ Mis thought to herself, though she didn't voice it, figuring that perhaps now was not the time to be wishy washy. They we're all looking to her for some damn reason, they were following her, although where she lead was certainly a dangerous road. They were by her side, and that meant more to her than she could ever express…She'd needed them, and although she'd gladly have them safely tucked away back at Grimmauld Place, she was grateful that they would stand with her. She felt a grim pride in her heart, that they cared for her enough to fight with her.

"The best way to handle this is to plan for the worst, let's assume that we're outnumbered 2 to 1." She started and although her hands were shaking, her voice was calm and steady. "In the event of an all out battle, we can't afford to be split up, so instead of everyone fighting independently, we need to move as a whole unit." She stated. "Fred and George, you two are going to be offensive, just keep attacking, don't give them a second to even breath." She ordered. The twins nodded, with matching smirks. "Remus and Tonks, you're going to be defensive. You're jobs are to watch their backs." Mis said pointing to the twins. "Sirius and I will do both, we're gonna pick up the slack." She said. Sirius nodded.

"I think the best way to do this is to avoid a direct confrontation, so we need to get in without being…" Mis cut herself off as she was jolted with an idea. "Mrs. Malfoy…" She whispered to herself. She turned to the group hectically. "The Malfoy's owe me, they'll help!" Mis said urgently.

"They're bloody Death Eater's, Mis. No way in hell they'd help us!" Sirius insisted, gesturing firmly to the Manor.

"They're not evil, Lassie, just misguided…They don't want to be Death Eater's. Especially, Mrs. Malfoy, she just wants her family to be safe." Mis explained wildly.

"We can't have our plan hinge on wether they'll help us or not, it's too risky." Remus said, shaking his head somberly. Mis looked at Remus, it was good to have him be the voice of reason, and Mis appreciated Remus's cautiousness. She mulled his words over in her mind, the final decision was her's. She felt the pressure weigh on her, she didn't think the Malfoy's would participate in trying to harm her or her friends…but having them help, that was a different story. They were cowardly, and Mis realized there was a good reason for that, if they were caught helping the Order, they'd be dead, no two ways about it. However, Mis knew they wanted their freedom, plus they were indebted to her…they might be cowardly, but she was hoping that they would honor their debt and shoot for the long term.

"I think Mrs. Malfoy will help, I don't really know about Mr. Malfoy, but I think he's willing to go were his family leads…we find her first, and ask for her help in exchange for their protection." Mis said firmly.

"Mr. Malfoy and Draco, both have dark marks…they won't come. It burns like the cruciatus when Voldemort deems it, he can force them to follow him…it's like a control device." Tonks interjected, clearly in support of Remus's comment.

"I took out the curse in Dumbledore's arm, I can take the dark mark from them too. It's more than a fair trade…We get to Mrs. Malfoy and that's final." Mis answered firmly. No one argued, the merely accepted her order…and Mis thought that felt strangely good, to have them trust her enough to allow her to lead.

"Ok, lets do this, follow me…there's a veranda behind the house that leads into the ballroom, I think it would be the less obvious way of getting in." Mis said, placing her hands on the iron gate. She felt magic in it, like a sort of pressure that wanted to shove her away, it didn't, she just unhooked the iron latch and waved everyone inside the manor grounds. She didn't bother closing the gate.

It was dark and quiet, and thankfully the group's feet were muffled against the soft grass. The front of the house was mostly dark, except for a dim light flickering in a large curtained window on the far left. Lightly, Mis ran to the side of the house, keeping low and silent. Reaching the shaded side of the house, she heard a voice. Mis stopped short, causing someone to run into her back with a grunt. She looked behind her held her finger in front of her mouth, then gestured to her ear to indicate she'd heard someone. The group nodded and readied their wands. Mis held up a hand, telling them to wait a second. She strained her ears and concentrated on the voice.

"We…to do something…his screams…can't take…our own home." A woman's voice said, and though it was hushed it sounded desperate.

"Do you…our son…he won't hesitate….kill." A male voice answered, just as desperate. Mis knew it was Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, although she missed much of what they were saying, she was pretty sure she understood the gist. They wanted to help, she knew it, they just didn't have a way to…It was perfect. Mis held up her hand to the group, she pointed to herself then indicated she was going to go around first, and for them to wait. Sirius nodded grimly. Mis took a breath, this was weird…they couldn't hurt her, but she found herself slightly nervous about appearing out of nowhere in front of them. Best to just do it quickly, rip it off like a bandaid, and explain quickly.

Leaving behind the group, she turned the corner to see the two Malfoy's at the bottom of the stone patio steps. Both with tense postures and still speaking in hushed voices. They were about twenty paces away and hadn't noticed her, as she was still in the shadow of the large manor. She set her face into mask of determination, and confidently walked towards them. Mr. Malfoy noticed her out of the corner of his eye, and immediately drew his wand and stepped in front of his wife protectively.

"Show yourself!" He growled. Mis held up both hands in surrender and stepped into the moonlight for them to see her.

"Mis!" Mrs. Malfoy exclaimed in shock, moving around her husband and striding over to the girl. "What are you doing here?" The woman asked, taking both of Mis's cold hands in her own.

"There isn't much time, I need your help. I need to get Snape." Mis insisted gripping the woman's hand back tightly and looking at the woman with her dark eyes desperate.

"How did you know?" Mr. Malfoy asked coming to stand beside his wife, and eyeing Mis skeptically.

"Never mind that right now. Will you help me?" Mis asked, pleading with both of them, praying that they said yes. Mrs. Malfoy made to answer but before she could, Mr. Malfoy held up a hand to silence her curtly.

"I'm sorry, Miss Holtzer, I can't allow this…my family is my number one concern, and if I help you, they'll be put in serious danger." Mr. Malfoy answered firmly, but Mis thought she detected a slight tone of regret.

"If you help me, the Order and I will do everything we can to protect your family…you don't have to serve him any longer if you just…"

"There is no protection from him, Miss Holtzer…and even if there was, we're branded for life. There is no escape." He said bitterly, rolling up his sleeve to display his dark mark. Mis didn't even think. She grabbed his wrist roughly, then placed her other hand on his forearm, covering the dark mark. It took a moment before she felt it, the strange sensation of crawling underneath her skin.

"What…" Mr. Malfoy uttered, staring in awe at his arm as the black dissolved away. Jagged black markings started to crawl up the back of her fingers and her hand. Mis stared hard at his arm, totally silent, watching it drain away from his pale skin into hers. She felt the last bits of the magic drain away. Mis's vision swam, and she felt the tiredness that she'd come to associate with sucking out curses. She swayed on the spot, and clutched her head, determined to not faint. She fell forward slightly, but Mr. Malfoy placed his hands on her upper arms to keep her from crashing into him.

Mrs. Malfoy looked at her husband's arm in total confusion. His arm was clean, with no sign of any marking or even that there'd ever been one.

"That's impossible…how can…?" Mrs. Malfoy never got to finish her sentence, for a second later there was a sharp bang and Mis turned to see a beam of red light headed straight towards Mr. Malfoy. Instinctually, she stepped in front of it, absorbing it into her middle. It had been a disarming spell.

"Mis, get out of the way." Sirius said, his body stance threatening and his wand aimed at Mr. Malfoy.

"Sirius, you're gonna have to give me a minute…I'm trying really hard to not faint." Mis groaned.

"What happened?" Sirius asked, striding over to her and yanking her away from the completely bewildered and silent Malfoys, causing her to make a noise of protest. He positioned himself between her and Mr. Malfoy, his wand still out and trained on the blonde haired man.

"I did the thing…you know." She said, gesturing vaguely to Mr. Malfoy's arm and making a suction sound effect with her mouth.

"Merlin, Mis. You know what that does to you. Why didn't you wait?!" Sirius asked her in exasperation.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Remus's looking at her with concern.

"I'm fine." She said, not really feeling all that fine, but it didn't matter, she had to get to Snape. Mis turned to the Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy, feeling a little stronger.

"I can take out Draco's dark mark too, but you need to help me first, tell me where Snape is." Mis said urgently, shaking the dizziness away from her head.

Mr. Malfoy simply stared at her, as if he didn't understand what kind of creature she was. Mis put her stern face on.

"If you don't tell me right now, I'm going to turn those pretty silver locks of yours into a goddamn wig." She threatened. He still made no move. She snapped her fingers in front of his face in agitation. "Today, goldilocks!" Mis ordered.

"He's in the basement. Go through the ballroom, turn left into the kitchens, turn right into the hall and the door is at the end." Mrs. Malfoy said quickly, having snapped out of her shock at least partially.

"Is there anyone else in the house?" Mis asked.

"Bella, Rudolphus, Yaxley, and Nott." Mr. Malfoy answered, having seemingly found his voice as well. Mis nodded her head.

"Ok, the both of you stay out here, we're getting Snape, then gettin' the hell outta dodge. You're coming with us back to Grimmauld Place, you'll be safe there." Mis said, and before the Malfoy's could protest, Mis waved to her group and they trotted quietly up the stairs and towards the open french doors leading to the dim ballroom. Mis scanned the area, then stepped inside waving in the others to follow. The house was so quiet, that it unnerved Mis, there was no sound except the sound of soft quick footsteps as she lead the way to the kitchen as Mrs. Malfoy had instructed. There was a soft murmur of voices, and louder footsteps. Two people were coming their way, and the short hall leading to the kitchen had no place to hide.

The group got into formation, ready to pounce on the people coming their way. Sirius and Mis at the front, Fred and George behind them, and Remus and Tonks hanging slightly back to better survey whatever developed. Mis un-holstered the knives on her belt, two of the silver, curved daggers in each hand. She crouched slightly, still feeling lightheaded, but the adrenaline rushing through her blocking out most of it.

"I knew it all the bloody time!" A gruff male voice insisted.

"Would you like a fuckin' medal for guessing the obvious." Another smoother voice answered. Mis felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest.

"A little recognition wouldn't…"

Mr. Lastrange never got to finish his sentence, the second he and the other man walked out of the kitchen they were struck down by two beams of bluish light, courtesy of the twins. Remus and Tonks quickly cast cushioning charms on the frozen bodies before they could thud against the hard wood floor. Mis let out a breath.

"Dissolution them." Mis said. Sirius waved his wand over each man, who despite their precarious position, were still able to look at Mis and her friends with utter contempt. Mis winked at the two of them, and added a 'tough luck' shrug for good measure.

A scream ripped through the air, one of pain the likes of which Mis had never heard, and she knew who'd made it. It seemed to slap into her body, and rip through her muscles. Mis took off, running through the massive kitchen. She couldn't even allow herself to think of what would happen if she was too late…No, she would fight death itself…No one, neither god nor man was going to take Snape away from her. There was no room for doubt in her mind, she didn't care what she'd have to do, there was no price she wouldn't pay.

"Mis! Wait!" Sirius called, but she didn't listen, she had to get to Snape. There were no other thoughts in her mind, just the need to get to him. The final hall was dim, and she didn't pause in her stride as she turned the final corner and ran to the door at the end. She turned around to see her group running behind her.

"Blast it!" She yelled, pointing to the door as she ran. "And don't come down 'til I say!" Three beams of red light flew from behind her and splintered to the door the moment she got there. She flew down the stairs leaping with single minded agility, and when she got to the bottom she saw her target. The Dark Lord turned.

"How predictable." Voldemort smirked. Without a second of hesitation, she planted her feet and threw the dagger in her left hand, aiming for his heart. He looked shocked a moment, before deflecting the knife with a clear blue shield and it clattered to the floor. Rage twisted his features. With a scream, he flourished his wand and seemed to push his whole body forward to give his magic momentum. A wave of electric purple light burst from the white tip of his wand, looking like a lighting storm headed straight for Mis. The magic surrounded her, weaving through her hair and limbs before melting into her skin harmlessly. Mis smirked.

"My turn." She said peppily, her eyes wild looking. She ran at him, her knife ready to strike. He was too fast, he dodged her quickly. She slashed her dagger through the air, the blade ringing as she missed her mark. She swung around at him and slashed again blindly. She sliced his arm, and reveled in his cry of pain. He grasped his arm and stumbled backwards, before he screamed in rage again and threw wild curses at her, multi colored, and vicious. Mis didn't have time to recognize all the curses or what their intentions were, she simply let them absorb. His eyes widened in disbelief. She bent her legs slightly, keeping low.

"What are you?" He whispered.

"Just a little viper." She spat acidly. She lunged at him again, knife first. He caught both her wrists in his hands, and before she could react properly. He spun her around, crossing her arms in front of her tightly and holding her back to his front. She struggled madly, but he was too strong for her to break his hold. She froze as she felt his head bend to her ear.

"My little viper." He purred, and as the rage flooded Mis's body she heard a loud crack and was abruptly freed. She whipped around, but he was gone.

"Fucking coward!" She screamed in frustration, so loud her throat hurt. Feeling the wrath and anger poison her blood, she screamed again and gripped her scalp painfully. A movement out of the corner of her eye, stopped her and Mis felt fear flow like cold static through her nerves. Snape…

Mis dropped her knife and stumbled forward, falling her knee's next to Snape. He was lying face down on the cold stone floor, his only clothes being a pair of black pants that were clearly soaked with blood judging by the way they cringed to his legs. His bare, pale back had deep meaty slices jaggedly running down his back and arms.

"Sirius!" She yelled desperatly, turning Snape over. Her heart squeezed as she saw his bruised and bloodied face. Hectic footsteps approached, and she was surrounded by her friends. She bent her cheek to Snape's mouth and nose, and felt his breath and heard it wheezing from his lungs.

"Snape." She said gently, looking down at him and taking his face in both of her shaking hands. One of his eyes was swollen, and sealed shut, but the other one fluttered at the sound of her voice.

"Holtzer." Snape croaked weekly. "You idiot…" He said. Mis felt relief melt her muscles at the sound of his voice. She rested her forehead on top of his, and closed her eyes as tears began spilling from them.

"Thank you." She whispered to whatever god happened to be listening. She felt Snape's ice cold hand hold hers against his cheek. Without intending to, she felt whatever curses had been cast upon him flood her insides and turn them cold.

"Holtzer…stop." He said, his voice sounding a little stronger but still raspy. "I can heal myself when we get back to headquarters." He said. She ignored him, she had to keep going, not only to heal him, but his mark needed to be taken out right away, otherwise Voldemort would be able to hurt him again. She felt herself growing weaker, though she thought perhaps she was building up some kind of tolerance. When she felt the hateful magic dissipate, she sniffled slightly and kissed Snape's damp forehead. She opened her eyes and her vision swam. Snape stared into her dark green eyes, and tenderly brushed a tear away from her cheek with his knuckle. His hand froze, and he stared at it a moment, before pulling his left forearm close to his face.

"Holtzer…it's gone." He said in wonder, sitting up weakly. He ran the pad of his right thumb along the spot where his dark mark should've been.

"Yeah, 's gone…" Mis said, her speech slurred and her eyes blinking slowly. "Get th' Macoy's…bring 'em to groomlad place… they 'elped" She said. Mis fought the weariness that begged her to close her eyes. She turned to look at Remus, Tonks and the twins, then pointed to Snape. "Home." She said. "Take him."

Snape stood up with Remus and Tonks' help, both supporting him. Mis was vaguely aware that they were speaking but she was so tired. She felt herself being lifted up, and carried up the stairs and through the house. Once out into the chilly night air, Mis forced her eyes open and felt some coherency return. Perhaps she really was building up a tolerance and they cold air was doing her some good. She looked up at Sirius, who was cradling her gently against his body. She tapped on him softly.

"You can put me down." She said, her voice stronger and clearer. Sirius sighed in relief as he swung her legs down.

"Thank Merlin, you're heavier than I would've ever imagined." He said, twisting to crack his spine. Mis narrowed her eyes at him.

"I am not heavy, you're weak." She quipped tiredly. She looked around at the forrest and grounds of Malfoy Manor. The silence was different to her now, calm and docile instead of tense and forbidding. She felt something scratch at her mind, and clenched her hands in fists.

"He got away." Mis grit out, feeling angry tears of frustration cloud her vision. "At least I drew blood." She said grimly, roughly wiping the back of her hand against her damp eyes. She looked up at Sirius. "My knives." She said, feeling the two missing places on her belt where they should've been. Sirius held them up.

"If it makes you feel any better, you looked pretty cool." He said teasingly. Mis relaxed a bit, and smirked despite her anger.

"Yeah?" She said smugly. Sirius nodded with a smile. She chuckled. He conjured the Firebolt from thin air and mounted it along with Mis.

" _Just a little viper_?" He said mildly. Mis shook her head at herself.

"It felt like a good thing to say at the time." Mis said defensively. Sirius chuckled.

"…and you call Wizards theatrical." He said wryly. Mis laughed with him.

"I never said I'm opposed to a bit of well timed drama, Lassie." She said, her voice smiling. "Oooo, maybe that can be like my catchphrase?" She suggested as the broom started rising from the ground.

"Nah, you can do better." Sirius said, before speeding upwards through the night and back home.

Mis and Sirius walked into Grimmuald Place and were greeted with the sounds of shouting. Mis rolled her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"Hear that?" She said in agitation. "That's why y'all piss me off." She said with a shake of her head and a huff. She strode into the kitchen and what she saw pissed her off epically. "What in the fuck of Mary is going on here?!" She demanded. Everyone fell silent. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were each sitting in the center of the kitchen on two chair with the entire Order surrounding them and looking angry and suspicious.

"I could ask you the same bloody thing, Holtzer. Since when do we invite Malfoy's into our fuckin' headquarters?" He growled, walking over to her with his blue eye whizzing madly, and his peg leg clicking on the kitchen floor.

"They helped us, Peggy!" She yelled back in outrage, standing her ground and staring up and the man's grizzled face.

"They're Malfoys!" Mad-eye bellowed, his voice echoing through the house impressively.

"They deserve a second chance!"

"They deserve life imprisonment in Azkaban!"

"Silence!" Dumbledore said, his voice magnified so loud that Mis clutched her ears in pain. "We all need to calm ourselves, we cannot squabble if we wish to accomplish anything." Dumbledore said, calm but firm. "Let us first ask Lucius and Narcissa what their intentions are, and their side of what happened. After we hear them, we shall vote on wether or not to offer our protection…So please everyone, let's sit and discuss this reasonably."

Mis looked around, and saw everyone nodding in agreement. She didn't see Snape.

"Where's Snape?" Mis asked Dumbledore a little worried.

"He is upstairs, tending to himself. Though thanks to you, he didn't need much, just a few vials of blood replenishing potion." Dumbledore answered Mis kindly. She nodded and breathed out in relief.

"I do not appreciate the treatment my wife and I are receiving, being treated as criminals when all we did was…" Mr. Malfoy said, putting on that aristocratic tone that grated on Mis's already frayed nerves. She held a hand up for him to be silent.

"Look, I get the whole old money, entitled, _do-you-know-who-I-am_ aesthetic you've got goin' here, really I do, and I love you for it. But right now, I'm gonna need you to just…like… not do that." Mis said tiredly, rubbing her temple. "This evening has been about as pleasant as a bag of dicks, and I'm at my limit." Mis finished emphatically. Mrs. Malfoy looked a little taken aback by Mis's course language. Mis held back a smile, well, the woman was going to learn sooner or later that Mis wasn't quite as prim as she let on.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Cissa, but that girl is a bloody harpy." A disdainful voice said in the doorway, clearly having read Mrs. Malfoy's shock. Mis whipped around and saw him. Snape looked tired, and although there was still a bit of purple around his eyes, he look distinctly living, and for that, Mis was immensely grateful. She threw herself towards him, colliding with his torso and squeezing him hard. He grunted in pain at her enthusiasm, but didn't try and dislocate himself from her fierce embrace. Having Snape in her arms and safe, made Mis feel as though she never wanted to let him go. She felt tears pool in her eyes as she pressed her cheek against Snape's chest. She caught the smell of lemon grass off of his typical black robes and a sob escaped her lips.

"I was so scared, Snape…I was so scared." Mis said between great heaving sobs. She felt him stroke her hair soothingly.

"I wasn't." He said, too low for anyone but her to hear. "I knew you'd be foolish enough to turn up." He said, but Mis detected a smile in his voice.

"I'll always be foolish enough to come after you, Snape. No one could ever keep me away…you're stuck with me." She said through her sniffling nose. He pulled back slightly, and tilted her chin upwards so he could look at her properly. He looked at her with unrestrained love and gratitude. Mis saw it all in those coal black eyes of his. For a moment in time, there was no bitterness in them, and the pain that was always cutting him internally had fled like a shadow flees a ray of sunlight.

"Thank you, Holtzer." He said softly. Mis heard his words and drank them in, hearing not only the sentence itself, but every other unspoken meaning. Love, Mis supposed, had its own way of communicating; it just showed itself without words to burden or diminish it; just like music. Mis took his hand and kissed the back of it. Snape pulled her back and hugged her again. It was the first time he'd ever embraced her of his own volition, and the gravity of that wasn't lost on her. Maybe Snape could never fully heal from the pain he'd endured throughout his life. There were rough edged pieces of his heart that he had locked away, never to be known or seen by anyone… But Mis would never let him be alone with them again, and he was finally starting to understand that. Mis gave Snape a final look before turning back to face the Order. She was almost surprised to see them there, she'd completely forgotten they were watching her. They were all looking on the scene before them with a strange kind of respect, like they were starting to see the connection between the mismatched pair more clearly. She smiled at all of them proudly, before fixing her face to look more stern.

"Okay, everyone…Snape's back, and that means the sarcastic bitch you all know and love is being released from her kennel." She said, gesturing to herself with a mischievous sparkle in her dark hazel eyes. "Any questions before we get this ball rolling?" Mis asked the room brightly. No one answered, Mis nodded. "Great, let's do this." She said, spinning her finger in a circle above her head.

"Wrong gesture." Snape muttered. "That gesture means its-a-wrap not lets-begin." He said disdainfully. With her mouth open like a fly trap, Mis slowly turned to look at Snape.

"How about this one?" She asked mockingly, flipping him the bird. "Not even 15 minutes and you're already an ass again." She said with an eye roll.

"Well, I'm nothing if not consistent." He replied blandly. Mis waved her hand at him in mock acquiescence.

Everyone found their seats, and settled in silently. Mis at the corner, with Dumbledore and Snape on either side of her. The Malfoy's were at the opposite end of the table, with everyone scrutinizing them cautiously.

"Well…" Dumbledore started, rising from his seat to address the room. "If I may begin by offering our gratitude towards Lucius and Narcissa for the help they provided. Thank you both for your kindness towards us and your willingness to aid Miss Holtzer in rescuing Severus." He said, bowing his head politely.

"We were glad to assist…neither my husband nor I would ever wish harm to come to Severus." Mrs. Malfoy answered somewhat stiffly. Mis could tell they were uncomfortable, and they had good reason to be. The Order was tense and seemed to be about three seconds away from shipping them off to Azkaban, but if Mis had any say at all that wasn't going to happen.

"If that's true then why didn't you assist him yourselves? The way I see it, you two didn't give a beggar's damn what happened to him, you two were only looking after your own skins." Sirius said coldly. Mis looked at him, understanding where he was coming from but also knowing he was wrong.

"They'd be dead if they'd tried to help him, Sirius. Voldemort would've Avada Kadavera-ed them and their son without even blinking. They had about as much of a choice as a chicken at Colonel Sander's house." Mis said emphatically, leaning forward slightly in her chair.

"Who the hell is Colonel Sander's?" Fred whispered to George, who shrugged in reply.

"Irrelevant…" Mis said waving off the question flippantly. "Point is, they didn't have a prayer, ok?" Mis said firmly.

"That may be true this time, but let's not forget the first war…The Malfoy name and the entire family has been marinating in the dark arts for over 3 centuries, and they showed that when they chose You-Know-Who when he came into power the first time! We should send them straight to Azkaban!" Sirius answered angrily. Mis was about to answer, but Snape placed his hand on her shoulder and inclined his head to Mrs. Malfoy who was standing up. The woman looked nervous with her hands wringing and her eyes full of trepidation.

"There are many things my family has done that grieves me." She said, addressing the entire room with her voice sorrowful and heavy. "I do not deny that we deafened ourselves, like many of our kind, we ignored the voice that tried to lead us to what we knew was right. I have no excuse to offer you, but please…" She said, her pretty grey eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"…If it's justice you want, take it from me! Send me to Azkaban. Do whatever you'd like, but let my husband and my son go free!" She pleaded.

"No, Narcissa! I won't allow it!" Mr. Malfoy said fiercely, standing up and gripping her shoulders. "I'm the head of this family, the responsibility is mine. It's my fault." He turned to the room, and let go of his wife. "Take me!" He demanded, his posture straight and his face determined. Everyone stared at the two Malfoys facing down their judgment proudly. Shocked silence followed and stayed for too long to be comfortable. Mis smiled.

"I fucking told you guys." She said, nodding proudly at the Mafloy's. "They may be obnoxious pricks, but they love each other… and love covers a multitude of sins." Mis said, slapping her hand on the table and her heart brimming with joy.

"How do we know they mean this, and they aren't just trying to gain our sympathy? I don't believe it." Mad-eye said, though Mis could tell he was half hearted, even the grizzled old auror was moved by their plea. Everyone could see the sincerity that was pouring from the two people at the end of the table.

"Peggy, don't lie…that was the one of most beautiful goddamn things you've ever heard in your life." Mis said, giving Mad-eye a level look. "If you weren't in front of everyone you'd be bawling like a bitch, and you know it." She said with a smirk.

She looked around the room, and read everyone's faces. Misgivings were still there, but they couldn't deny the truth they'd heard, and they all understood what it was like to willingly face the fire to protect those they loved. Mis turned to Dumbledore. His blue eyes were twinkling with an emotion Mis had no name for, it was both soft and fierce and Mis knew she'd won when she saw his eyes. Dumbledore's eyes told her that he'd known all along that was right and that he'd had faith that she'd find a way to prove it.

"So…" She said. "Anyone want some apple pie?"

Everyone looked at each other, there was a collective shrug and nod. There was still a lot to discuss, plans to hash out, and it was going to be a long night, but that could wait for a few minutes… she just wanted them all to have a moment to enjoy the little things.


	17. Castus

**Authors note: As always, thanks for hangin' in there for the next chapter! You guys are awesome! Chapter 18 will probably be up sooner than normal, sometime next week by my calculation, though I could be wrong I'm gonna try to stick to date, try not to hold me to it, lol. This chapter may seem a bit like filler, but it's full of a bunch of crucial info that will definitely be brought up later in the story (maniacal laughter). Anyway, please don't forget to send me a review to tell me what y'all think, and please enjoy!**

 **OliverNox: Lol, you're comment inspired the beginning of this chapter because I found that whole scenario funny.**

 **Margo13331: I'm so glad you feel like the characters are human, that's always what I'm going for, and it's really a wonderful compliment! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

 **Guest: Thanks for reviewing! I'm a total sap so I like writing sweet things between Mis and Snape, and I hope you like reading it!**

 **Sushi zombie: I'm guilty of being a wolfstar shipper, so I thought it would be funny to include it, I'm glad you thought it was funny too!**

 **HypocriticalCommunistFromSpace : I loved your review it made me laugh so hard! I'm so glad you liked that chapter, and I hope you like this one too. Voldy is the biggest perv of them all, and it's gonna get worse...(sinister smile).**

 **The L. MMonster: Wish granted, hope you like this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything but my OC. Also, overlook the grammatical errors and spelling mistakes because I truly suck at proof reading.**

Chapter 17: Castus

"It's not _that_ bad!" Mis insisted defensively, taking another bite of the apple pie she'd made and chewing it petulantly.

"I like it." Ron said with a shrug, already on his second helping.

"Thank you, _Ron_." Mis said pointedly before glaring at the other Order members. Ginny snorted.

"Ron doesn't count, Mis. He eats like a starving man regardless of what's put in front of him." Ginny quipped mildly. Mis stuck her nose in the air.

"Well excuse me for not being the Barefoot Contessa." Mis said with dignity. Mis glanced at Snape, who was sitting to her left at Dumbledore's right hand, and looking hesitantly down at the slice of pie on his plate as if it would attack him if he didn't pay close attention. He looked at Mis, then down at the pie again, clearly weighing his options. He sighed, cut a corner off with his fork and brought it to his mouth. He chewed twice before he closed his eyes and grimaced.

"Holtzer, the dark arts abides in this pastry." He said, his eyes squeezed shut as if willing himself to not puke. Mis was about to look affronted when she heard a loud bark of laughter that quickly evolved into a fake cough. Mis looked across the table at Sirius, who was avoiding her gaze and seemed remarkably interested in the pattern of his dish. He was trying not to smile.

"A 25 year grudge ended over your guys' mutual disgust of my cooking." Mis said calmly, nodding her head in resentful understanding while she glared between Snape and Sirius.

"Not cooking, love, baking…It's the baking that the problem." Sirius informed her mildly before cleansing his palate with a swig of butterbeer, trying to get the gritty, over-cinnamoned apple pie taste out of his mouth. Mis pouted her lips slightly and crossed her arms.

"Well don't spare my feelings, whatever you do." Mis mumbled sarcastically.

"I think it's good." Fred piped in. He held up a forkful of the pie aloft. "It's an adventure in every bite." He said as if he were in a commercial.

"It's only an adventure because you can't be certain you'll survive another bite…Is there such a thing as a cinnamon overdose?" He asked with false concern. Mis mocked silent laughter, then went straight faced and rolled her eyes.

"I may not be able to bake, but I can still kick your ass…everyones ass will be kicked." Mis mumbled, trailing off. Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Perhaps we should get back to business, there are still many things in need of reconciliation." Dumbledore said brightly, effectively divesting Mis of her pouting. She smiled at him, he'd eaten his whole piece, so the old man was currently not on her hit list.

"We'd like to know how soon our son can be sent for." Mr. Malfoy chimed in imperiously.

"If The Dark Lord contacts him, he'll have no choice but to answer without knowing about our situation." Mrs. Malfoy said softening her husband's words with her sincerity. Dumbledore smiled kindly.

"You needn't worry, Narcissa, your son will be here shortly. I notified Hagrid the moment you arrived with instructions for him to bring Draco. The matter is in his most capable hands." Dumbledore said comfortingly, his twinkling blue eyes serene. Mr. Malfoy looked like he desperately wanted to make some snide remark, but a stern glance from his wife told him now was not the time. Mis sat up straighter, suddenly realizing what she'd just heard.

"Oh. My. God. I get to meet Hagrid finally?!" Mis squealed in excitement. The old man chuckled fondly.

"Yes, my dear. He recently returned from his time with the giants and is now back at Hogwarts." Dumbledore answered, his eyes bright at seeing Mis so pleased over something so small. Mis shrieked with happiness and beamed at the old man, her dark eyes twinkling merrily.

"When's he gonna be here?" Mis asked brightly.

"Shouldn't be long now." Dumbledore replied, checking a small gold watch chained to his belt. Mis clapped her hands like an excited toddler, and bounced in her seat. She looked over at Sirius, Harry and Remus who were sitting across from her. The three of them looked on fondly at her excitement and could hardly contain their own happiness. Mis cleared her throat and stood up, a serious expression suddenly on her face.

"Well, I guess I'll take your plates…ungrateful little shits." Mis mumbled, though she didn't really mean it.

"You sit back down." Mrs. Weasley said sternly, waving Mis back to a seated position. "I'll get it, dear. You've done enough this evening." She said maternally. The red haired woman waved her wand briskly and all the dishes floated up and away from the table, emptied themselves into the trash and then to the sink where they began doing themselves. Mis sat back down and looked on at the automatic dishes in envy.

"You know? I give y'all a lot of mouth about wizard's impracticality, but I would seriously give anything to just be able to wave a wand and have the dishes done." Mis said shaking her head in regret.

"Excuse me?!" Mr. Malfoy asked, his tone both shocked and perhaps a bit horrified. Mis froze. _Oops_. Well, he was bound to find out sooner or later, but Mis had intended to use a bit more tact with that reveal. "You're not a witch?" He asked, almost demandingly. Apparently a Malfoy could only hold his tongue so long.

"Aye…" Mad-eye answered for Mis slowly, before turning to fix the man with a threatening glare. "Something you'd like to say about it?" Mad-eye growled. Mis held back a smile at his protectiveness and waved off the grisly auror.

"Chill, Peggy. Goldilocks is just curious, I'm sure." Mis said patiently. She turned to consider Mr. Malfoy, poor thing looked like he was gonna have a stroke. Mis chuckled. "No, I'm not a witch, but as you know, I've got that weird curse sucker thing, and magic can't affect me." Mis explained gently, half praying that he wouldn't screw himself by acting like a bigoted prick. He and Mrs. Malfoy shared a look somewhere between confusion and trepidation before looking back at Mis. Mis, however, didn't get the feeling that they were contemptuous, though both their mouths were pressed into thin lines. They stared at her for a bit too long to be considered polite, and Mis was beginning to feel like some exotic animal being gawked at in a zoo. Mis cleared her throat, and covertly nudged Snape in the ribs with her elbow. He looked down at her.

 _I don't know what the hell you expect me to say._ He said with his eyes.

 _You're smart, come up with something, you owe me._ She communicated back wordlessly.

Mis caught a glint in his eyes that didn't bode well.

"I suppose having Miss Holtzer as a marriage prospect for Draco need reconsidering." Snape said, breaking the silence with a tone drier that the Sahara. Mis closed her eyes slowly, and slid her jaw. She probably should've seen that one coming.

"Ok, my fault, shouldn't have asked." She said nodding along with her own stupidity. Sirius stood up and abruptly slammed his hand on the table, rattling the glasses on the table and startling everyone.

"What the hell?!" Sirius yelled. "That had better be a poor attempt at humor…" Sirius warned, pointing at Snape threateningly. The potions master said nothing, instead taking a sip of his tea and enjoying the chaos that he'd birthed.

"Severus!" Mrs. Malfoy said, once again shocking everyone as she stood up fiercely. "How could you say such a thing?!" Mrs. Malfoy demanded. Mis narrowed her eyes _…what in the hell?…_ "To think anything would need reconsidering, she's a lovely girl, we'd be proud to have her as a family member." The woman said imperiously.

"Besides, blood status seems trivial when we have a one-of-a-kind in our midst." Mr. Malfoy said shrewdly. Mrs. Malfoy gave her husband a look that indicated he needed to shut his mouth and keep it that way. _Wait just one goddamn minute_ Mis thought, her eyes widening. Mis held her hand up.

"I'm sorry, what?" Mis said, she was trying for calm in the midst of confusion and horror.

"You will not be arranging anything, Narcissa! And if you do, it'll be over my pale corpse." Sirius swore. "She doesn't come from pureblood circles, she doesn't know any of the customs, and frankly, I'd rather my wand snapped than have her betrothed to a Malfoy!" Sirius spat viciously.

"Do not disrespect my wife, or my name, Mr. Black, both are more distinguished than you could ever hope to be." Mr. Malfoy retorted cooly. Mis looked over at Snape, the bringer of discord, and silently vowed to herself that he would pay. Mis was having a hard time understanding what in the name of fuck was going on. Betrothal?! She was 17, she'd never dated anyone longer than two weeks, and she had no desire to. To her own mind, she was about a mature as a 12 year-old in sex ed class, i.e. still more than capable of laughing at any words used to describe female and male genitalia. Betrothal…the word was like lemon juice in her mouth, repellent and cringe inducing. Mis had noticed Mrs. Malfoy had seemed a bit keen, but she assumed that would be normal, after all Mis had healed her son, it would only be natural for a mother to embrace whoever helped their child…but this…

Mis stood up, leaning on the table for support. "No! No! No!" She said, punctuating each word with a finger jab at Snape, Sirius and Mrs. Malfoy. "We're not doing this right now, this is not happening. I'm tired, ok? I realize the good lord above is trying to teach me patience, but screw that, not today Jack! There's a huge ass war going on, and this is not what I'm wasting my time on, capisce?!" She asked shrilly, her eyes seeming a bit unhinged, and daring them to say another word. She was pleased that no one was brave enough.

"Mis, maybe we should all just calm down a bit." Remus suggested gently, directing his words more to Mis and Sirius than anyone else.

"I'm calm!" Mis insisted in a voice too high to be considered normal. "I'm cool as a cucumber, free and easy breezy lemon squeezey, man." She said, though no one believed a word on account of her twitching eyes and screeching voice. The room was dead silent for too long again, and Mis sat back down quietly.

"Rot in hell, Snape." Mis growled under her breath.

"See you there, Holtzer." He quipped back tonelessly. Remus glared at Sirius, and the latter sat back down in a huff. Mis glanced at Dumbledore, who looked disappointed, as if his favorite soap had just been turned off in the midst of a big reveal…old coot.

"I propose we all forget that happened." Remus submitted to the room at large. Everyone was more than willing to comply, especially Mis, who wanted the last several minutes bleached from her memory. A sudden knock at the door, seemed to break the tension in the room a bit, and Mis felt her heart leap in her chest, the previous experience forgotten in favor of excitement. She jumped up and scrambled out of her seat gracelessly.

"I got it." Mis called, already practically in the hall. She ran to the heavy black door with a huge smile on her face. Coming to it, she straightened her clothes and patted down her wily hair. She paused. There seemed to be some kind of ruckus going on just outside the door, two voices one booming and the other clearly pissed off. Mis pulled the door open. Hagrid was even bigger than she could've imagined. She hardly reached to his hip, and his head and shoulders were obscured by the top of the door frame. He seemed to have something slung over his shoulder, like a dark rucksack…a struggling rucksack. Hagrid knelt down and Mis got a first glimpse of his face.

"Ya must be Miz Holtzer, 've heard a lot…'s a real pleasure." Hagrid said in a pleasant voice, that was effortlessly loud and almost made Mis's bones rattle. His face was kind and ruddy, and overpowered by a dense black beard and a mass of course black hair. His eye were gentle and sparkled despite their dark color. He looked a bit care worn, and was wafting a smell that wasn't entirely pleasant, but Mis didn't care. Straining her neck, Mis beamed up at the huge man.

"Come in, Mr. Hagrid. I'm so happy to meet you." Mis greeted excitedly as he stooped the walk through the door, and Mis had to press herself against the wall to avoid being crushed.

"Unhand me you great lumbering…!" Said a murderous voice that Mis instantly recognized as Draco's. She considered the struggling young man casually.

"Oi, None-a that 'Mister' business, 'm not that important." He said bashfully with a rumbling chuckle, easily talking over Draco.

"I beg to differ, I happen to think you're incredibly important, and I have a habit of sticking to prominent people." Mis said charmingly, accepting his proffered, baseball-mitt size hand and shaking it as strongly as she could manage. Draco's exclamations of outrage caught her attention again.

"Maybe you should put him down, you'll mess up his hair." Mis said to Hagrid, trying desperately not to laugh.

"Right then…Carful of this one, he's a biter. Reckon I've met dragon hatchlings better behaved." Hagrid said, plopping the red faced Malfoy on his feet roughly. Mis looked at him and didn't bother to hide the amusement in her eyes. His pale skin was flaming from his ears to his neck. He looked at her, and his was the face of a man who wanted to bury himself in a hole and never see the light of day again. Mis chuckled, and without really thinking about it, reached up and patted down his disheveled hair with both her hands. He looked at her strangely then, and she hastily pulled her hands away, feeling a bit awkward.

"Sorry…you had a Flock-of-Seagulls-hair thing going on." She said before clearing her throat and taking a step away from him.

"Thanks." He said, avoiding her eyes. Mis turned around abruptly, feeling a little self-conscious.

"This way." She said over her shoulder, and led Draco and Hagrid down the hall to the chattering kitchen. Hagrid was greeted with a loud roar, and everyone promptly got up from their seats to rush him for hugs and handshakes. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy had eyes only for their son, and reached him quickly. Mrs. Malfoy cupped Draco's face with both of her delicate hands, inspecting him for any sign of injury before pulling him into a fierce hug. Mr. Malfoy enveloped both his wife and son in his arms, and closed his eyes as the fear drained away from his face to be replaced by relief. Mis smiled happily at them all.

"What's going on?" Draco asked his mother and father when he pulled away from them. He scanned the room skeptically, somehow managing to make his tone both defiant and confused.

"Congratulations! You're not a Death Eater anymore, and you're in my debt for the remainder of your natural born life." Mis chimed in peppily. "Hey more good news, you don't have to assassinate Dumbledore…for the record, you weren't gonna pull it off anyway, but in your defense it wasn't an easy job, was it?" Mis said, hitting the back of her hand on Draco's upper arm.

"I-I don't…understand." Draco said slowly, his entire face compressed into confusion.

"You'll catch up in a few minutes." Mis said absently. "Want a glass of pumpkin juice or something?" Mis asked him.

"Umm, I uhh..I…" He stuttered. Mis looked at him in amusement.

"You need me to bring the crash cart in?" Mis asked teasingly.

"No…no I'm fine, thanks." He said finally. Mis smiled.

"Well let's everyone take a seat." Mis said to the room at large, and everyone moved back to the table including Mis. She turned back around quickly.

"Oh!" She exclaimed, pointing to Draco's left arm. "Lemme get that for you." She said reaching for him. He flinched away and clutched it to his chest as if worried she would chop it off.

"Now hold on just a minute!" Mad-eye barked. Mis closed her eyes slowly, before turning to give the auror a look of frustration. "How do we know you lot won't cut tail and run when you get your dark marks off?" Mad-eye asked the Malfoys, not even attempting to contain his contempt. Mis rubbed her temple.

"If that's what they want, they can go…" Mis said wearily. "We're not withholding our help from people who need it, Peggy. I'm not doing this to get anything out of it…I mean, it'd be wonderful if they wanted to stay…" Mis clarified to the three Malfoys quickly. "…But we'd be no better than Tommy if we forced them to stay." Mis said to Mad-eye, calm but firm. She turned back to the family with a sweet smile on her face. "This is a gift, there aren't any conditions…That indebted to me thing was a joke, didn't mean a word of it." She said gently, waving her hand dismissively.

"I believe Miss Holtzer is correct." Dumbledore chimed in. "We do not give in order to receive, we give because it is right and kindness need no motivation." The old man said, supporting Mis proudly. Mad-eye grumbled something about that plan not being very opportunistic, and sat back down with a grunt. Mis rolled her eyes, Slytherin mentality or not, there was a time and a place to be shrewd, and to her, this was neither.

"If I may?" Mr. Malfoy petitioned to speak, stepping forward boldly to address Mis and the room. "I would give anything to have my family safe…and I know there is no way to guarantee their safety, but if there is a chance for them to be under the same protection you show to each other, I'm willing to work in tandem with you all and offer whatever power be available to me." Mr. Malfoy said in a clear, deep voice, his face set in determination and his icy eyes insistent. "We've surely had our differences, but my family and I are nothing if not adaptable…I will fight with you, if for no other reason than because we are indeed indebted, and the name of Malfoy would be disrespected if we left our debts unpaid." He said, and despite his humble words he still had that air of arrogance around him, it was a kind of certainty that Mis couldn't help but believe. Mis glanced at Dumbledore and saw him beaming in a way that indicated he'd known that would happen.

"What say you all? Do we accept them or turn them away?" Dumbledore asked the group. "All in favor?" He said raising his hand, Mis's was the next to shoot up. Slowly everyone raised their hands until the only person remaining was Mad-eye who had his arms crossed. He looked at Dumbledore, huffed and limply waved his hand up.

"Never bloody thought I'd be supporting a Malfoy." The auror muttered crossly. It was truly a testament to the Order's trust in Dumbledore's judgment that they'd voted the Malfoy's in so quickly and with only minimal grumbling. Mis felt so stupidly happy. Her work had finally reaped something tangible, the Malfoys were there, and although they stuck out like sore thumbs at the present, she knew they'd be embraced in time. She had faith that the Order would be able to forgive them for the years they'd spent in foolish bigotry. It wouldn't happen tomorrow, but they would see the Malfoys as she did eventually, of that she was certain.

"The vote is unanimous…Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, welcome. We are glad to have you." Dumbledore said kindly, with his blue eyes twinkling. Mis heard a small hiccup, and turned to see Mrs. Malfoy fighting to hold back tears.

"Thank you, headmaster…I cannot say how great my gratitude is to you." Mrs. Malfoy said thickly. Dumbledore smiled.

"Your gratitude would be better directed towards Miss Holtzer, she has a gift for seeing the good in others…a rare and precious quality, and the reason you were granted reprieve." The old man replied softly. Mis blushed like a ripe tomato under Dumbledore's lofty praise and was about to wave it off when Mrs. Malfoy gripped both of Mis's hands tightly.

"Of course…Miss Holtzer, thank you…thank you so much." Mrs. Malfoy said in a voice overflowing with emotion and tenderness. Mis looked into the woman's beautiful stormy grey eyes and felt as though every trouble she'd been subjected to had been worth it a thousand times over just to see the thankfulness, joy and relief on Mrs. Malfoy's face. Mis squeezed the woman's hands back.

"You're very welcome." Mis said simply, not entirely trusting herself to say more without getting teary. She gave the woman one final look before letting go of her hands and turning to Mr. Malfoy with her hand on her hips and a stern look in place. Everyone, save the Malfoy's, knew that was the stance Mis took when she was about to lay down the law.

"You." She said crisply, point to the imposing, aristocratic man. "If you so much as _breathe_ in a way that I find bigoted, I will _literally_ drag your ass to hell. I've got connections in low places, Goldilocks, and I will not hesitate to make a call if you hurt my friends in any way. This ain't baseball; you don't get three strikes, you get two and your on your last one. Get me?" She threatened darkly, watching his every micro-expression and calculating every flicker of his eyes.

"Ok, I think I see what you mean, Ron…she's a bit frightening." Mis heard Ginny say to her brother. Mis mouth quirked for a second.

"I understand, Miss Holtzer…and your have my word that my family and I will do our utmost to justify the faith you've had in us." Mr. Malfoy said formally. With very deliberate movements, making it clear that he wasn't trying anything sketchy, he reached into the inner pocket of his crisp black jacket and pulled out a very long, thin pale wand with a silver snake head on the end. Mis furrowed her brows in confusion that increased when bent his head slightly and offered it to her with one hand and the other over his heart. Mis wasn't sure what she was supposed to do, and it must've shown on her face because a moment later, Sirius was standing next to her.

"Take it with your left hand and pass it back with your right." Sirius instructed. Mis nodded.

"Ok, but why?" Mis asked in confusion.

"It's an ancient pure blood gesture representing the joining of two houses, mostly through marriage, but sometimes through alliance or even servitude. It's the highest form of trust a witch or wizard can show. By offering his wand, he's saying the magic he possesses is entrusted to you. Though typically it's a two-way thing with each of you passing wands." Sirius explained quickly. Mis looked at Mr. Malfoy in shock. Not wishing to cause any offense, she accepted the wand, taking it in her left hand and giving it back to Mr. Malfoy with her right. Mr. Malfoy unbowed his head.

"I don't have a wand, but you have my word that I'll do everything in my power to protect your family…" Mis said, before Mr. Malfoy held up a crisp hand, halting her speech.

"There's no need, Miss Holtzer. You've proven to have my family's best interest at heart." He said with an almost smirk. Mis smiled.

Mis heard a sharp intake of breath suddenly and quickly turned to see Draco clutching his black-sleeved forearm.

"Miss Holtzer…"Mrs. Malfoy begged, looking agonized at seeing her son in pain. Snape stood up, immediately striding over to Draco to gently guide him by the shoulders to sit at the kitchen table. Mis followed and sat down next to him, Snape standing behind her ready to steady her should she start to black out. Mis looked at Draco's face feeling a sharp tug in her heart at the pain she saw there.

"It's alright, it's gonna be over soon, just roll up your sleeve." Mis said comfortingly. Draco nodded, too agonized to question her, or even bother to look confused. His right hand shaking, he struggled with the buttons on his sleeve.

"Just take it off, Mr. Malfoy." Snape said impatiently, though Mis knew his harsh tone was only due to his dislike of seeing Draco hurting. Mis whipped her head to look at Snape. Snape looked down at her and seemed to know immediately what she was thinking…The bastard almost winked at her. Mis felt color rise in her cheeks. Draco was too preoccupied with pain to be self-conscious, and it was certainly easier to wave his wand and quickly vanish the black shirt away than attempt to roll up his tight sleeve. Mis tried to remain calm and stoic, but Draco just so happened to look amazing without a shirt on. His chest was well developed, with lean muscle under his pale skin…his skin looked so soft and it made Mis want to…She shook herself.

 _Now is_ not _the fucking time._ Mis thought to herself roughly.

"No pun intended." She muttered aloud. Snape raised an eyebrow at her, she waved her hand in front of her face quickly telling him to ignore that. Mis took a deep breath and scooted closer to the young man, her face feeling hotter than Phoenix in July. Her heart pounding and her mouth dry, she took his arm and positioned it on the table in front of her. She avoided his tropical blue eyes, but could feel them watching her, and adding yet another layer of heat to her face and causing her lungs to feel a little constricted. She placed both her hands over the dark mark, covering the moving ink completely.

His skin was so hot, as if he were running a bad fever and that knocked some of the sense back into Mis's head. He was in pain, and strangely that made her feel hurt as well, though she didn't know where the hurt originated from, but it seemed to be concentrated in her chest. After a moment, she felt the curse begin to crawl up her skin, fleeing Draco's body and being magnetically drawn into her own. Draco made a soft noise in the back of his throat that would've probably caused Mis to be in a state of perpetual blushing for the rest of her life had she not been focused on taking out the curse. As it was, she recognized it as a sound of relief and that was all that matter to her at the moment.

It didn't take long, and by the time she felt the last bit of the curse drain from him, Mis's hands looked as though they'd been dipped into a dull black ink. She pulled away, and teetered against Snape who steadied her with his hands on her shoulders. She blinked slowly, her eyes begging to be closed and her body feeling as though she hadn't rested in weeks.

"Mis? Are you ok?" Draco asked, and though the words were fuzzy to her, she detected concern in them.

"She'll be fine, Mr. Malfoy, she just needs a moment to recover." Snape said, knowing Mis was incapable of answering. "Come on, Holtzer." He said with a grunt, bending down to swing one of her arms around his shoulder, holding it in place with one hand and hooking his other arm around her waist. Mis clutched at him weakly as he walked her to the living room and laid her down on the sofa. The room was warm from the crackling fireplace, and brightened by the gold glow of lamps mounted on the walls. "It's alright, Holtzer, you've done well. Close your eyes for a bit." Snape said, kneeling down beside her and checking her pulse. She knew it must be slow. Mis closed her eyes, and focused on her breathing. Allowing her body to relax and melt into the soft couch. "Though I would suggest you refrain from thinking on the young Mr. Malfoy…He seems to have a somewhat stressful effect on you." Snape added slyly.

Mis eyes shot open, and was instantly more awake. She looked at Snape with wide eyes. The potions master was smirking, damn him.

"Jesus…Do you think he noticed? Oh my god, I want to die." Mis groaned, covering her face with her hands and remembering his shirtless-ness with embarrassing clarity.

"To be honest, despite his mark burning he looked rather smug about your reaction." Snape commented. "If that makes you feel any better." He added with a shrug. Mis peeked at Snape through her fingers.

"You think anyone else noticed?" Mis whispered, fearing the answer.

"So…" Sirius said, walking into the room. "Got a thing for the ferret, have you?" Sirius asked, not sounding too pleased. Snape waved his hand limply at Sirius in answer to the girl's question. Mis flipped herself over and buried her face into the couch cushions, and moaned in agony and embarrassment.

"Pull yourself together, Holtzer. Not the bloody end of life as we know it." Snape said blandly. "You fought the Dark Lord hand to hand three hours ago, and you're allowing yourself to be reduced to a silly schoolgirl?" He demanded. Mis turned over slowly and looked at Snape. He always knew what to say to get her out of her own head. She sat up quickly, a determined look on her face.

"You know what? You are. so. right. I'm a goddamn _boss_ …" She said fiercely.

"Mis?" Draco called before walking into the room. Mis squeaked stupidly, her big talk forgotten.

"Hey…" She said, her voice too high as he walked into the living room. She cleared her throat. "How uh, How're you feeling?" She asked, straightening her clothes and looking up at him as he walked closer. Thankfully, he had his shirt back on, Mis doubted her heart could handle anymore stress this evening. He looked down at his arm instinctively.

"I'm great…um could I speak with you for just a minute." He asked a little shyly. Mis smiled and opened her mouth to answer.

"Go on then." Sirius said, sitting down on the couch at Mis's feet and placing a hand on her shin possessively. Mis looked at Sirius, who was staring at Draco unwaveringly and with no small amount of suspicion. Mis was aware Sirius was protective by nature, but this seemed a little overboard. Snape stood up from his kneeling position and leaned back, half sitting on the sofa's arm rest at Mis's head.

"Yes, please, Mr. Malfoy." Snape prompted, crossing one arm and using his free hand to support his jaw. "We're positively…riveted." Snape said in his halting, disdainful voice. Mis looked between Sirius and Snape, her eyes communicating that they were as good as murdered. Draco cleared his throat, gathering Mis's attention, then knelt down in the same spot Snape had just been in. She took a half second to appreciate just how beautiful he was, with his silver hair and warm blue eyes. He was exactly Mis's type, a little shy but charming all the same, with a certain confidence that sometimes reared itself when she least expected it to, not to mention a bit of a bad-boy streak that she found irresistible.

"I don't really understand what you did, or why, but the last time you helped me, I didn't say Thank You properly and I regretted it. So this time I wanted to tell you how grateful I am, and I want you to know that if ever you're in need, I'll be there… for what you've done for me and my family."

Mis listened to his deep voice, that was softened by humility. His eyes were so clear to her, almost like he was purposefully displaying the emotions behind them so she could understand how he felt. For the second time that day, she reached out her hand and smoothed his satin-like hair away from his forehead. He smiled a little at the gesture, and Mis felt her heart stutter at that look.

"Listen very carefully, Draco." She said seriously, pulling her hand back. "You don't owe me a damn thing. I only ever wanted your family to have a fighting chance, and I got that. Just don't screw it up, and we'll call it even, ok?" She said with a crooked smile. He matched her smile and it brightened his eyes. Mis held up a finger. "Or ya know what? I'm trying to build up a harem of manservants to wait on me hand and foot, I'm sure I could fit you in." Mis said her eyes sparkling mischievously. He chuckled.

"Trying to take my pride from me, are you? And I though you were a nice girl." He teased. Mis looked around innocently.

"I don't ever remember claiming to be nice." She countered primly. He smiled.

"Well, maybe you aren't nice, but you _are_ good." He said, and although he was smiling his tone was very solemn. Mis stared at him…That was a sweet thing to say, and it took Mis a little off guard. His cheeks turned a little pink, and Mis felt her own heat a bit, but neither broke eye contact.

"Alright, you've said your piece, now run along, little Malfoy. Tarry not." Sirius said condescendingly, waving his hand at the young man dismissively.

"Right…Well. I'l just go check on my parents." He said, looking a little intimidated by Sirius's thinly veiled aggression. Mis nodded with a smile, and watched him leave the room fondly. The moment Draco was out of ear shot, she lunged at Sirius and smacked him on the back of the head crisply.

"What the hell, Lassie?!" Mis demanded in muted outrage.

"Ow!" Sirius said pointedly, rubbing the back of his head. "What's your bloody problem?" He asked, looking cross.

"I think you're her bloody problem, Black." Snape proposed mildly, almost smirking. She whipped around and raised a finger to Snape.

"Shut up. You're no better than him." She told him feistily, jabbing her thumb behind her at Sirius. "Christ! Since when am I not allowed to talk to guys my own freakin' age? I happen to like Draco." Mis huffed, before crossing her arms to pout.

"No, no…Tell me you're joking!" He begged. "Please god! Anyone but a Malfoy. Go for a Weasley. What about Fred or George? You like them right? You flirt with them." He asked desperately. Mis almost laughed at him, with his pleading eyes and worried expression.

"I flirt with literally everyone, Sirius. I don't discriminate." Mis replied flippantly. She yawned a second later, still feeling very weak and tired. "I could go for a triple shot right about now." She said, trying to keep her eyelids from slipping shut like a loose window.

"Well, it's no wonder. A housewarming party, siphoning out three curses, a knife fight with the Dark Lord…you've had a full day." Snape said mildly. Sirius sighed, still focused on the Draco incident.

"I don't think it can get any worse." He commented. Snape gave a derisive snort.

"It can always get worse, Black… _Believe_ me." Snape assured him disdainfully.

"Excuse me?!" Sirius shrieked. Snape had been right, it could always get worse. Mis was currently sitting next to the apparent prophet of doom on her right and Dumbledore to her left, nursing a hot cup of coffee that did little other than stimulate her mind enough to recognize how tired she was. She was staying out of the conversation, figuring she'd done her part and letting The Order hash out the details of the Malfoy's recent inclusion. The topic of discussion was where the Malfoy's would stay, something that Mis hadn't even considered, though now she wished she had. Obviously they couldn't go back to the Manor, Voldemort could easily get in on account of his having taken it over after his rebirth two years ago. Although it still belonged to the Malfoy's on paper, Voldemort's magic was practically woven into it the stone at this point, sustaining the wards and cloaking charms. The Order concluded that it'd be foolhardy to attempt to break his hold on it, and too much of a risk and a hassle to take it back when there was nothing there that was of any real value to the war effort.

The Malfoys were pariahs in the wizarding community at present, and that left them few options. After Mr. Malfoy was sent to Azkaban, restrictions had been placed on their Gringott's vault, and Mrs. Malfoy was only given a weekly allowance needed for food and the maintenance of her household. They had three options that were viable: Seek shelter in a muggle community, leave the country, or stay at Grimmauld place. The first option, although potentially hilarious, simply wasn't practical. The Malfoy's were purebloods, and would be able to blend into a muggle crowd about as effectively as a giraffe in a penguin colony. The second option was dismissed as well. Mr. Malfoy had given his word to fight along side them, and Mrs. Malfoy didn't want to leave him or pull Draco from Hogwarts. That left the last option…and Sirius wasn't taking the news well. He attempted to bluster his way out of it, buzzing like a pissed off hornet. Mis sighed, and rubbed her eyes. She wanted everyone to get the hell out so she could go to sleep.

"There's like thirty rooms in this house, Sirius, they could probably occupy a whole floor and we wouldn't even notice." Mis said, her patience wearing thin.

"Surely, there must be an alternative?" Mr. Malfoy practically begged. Mrs. Malfoy, hit the back of her hand against his arm. He looked down at his wife, who gave him a stern look. Recognizing her subtle reprimand, Mr. Malfoy cleared his throat. "Of course, we would never want to cause any trouble or inconvenience." He backtracked smoothly.

"Oh yes, because your entire image positively _screams_ low maintenance." Sirius said sarcastically. Mis snorted against her will, but managed to pass it off as a cough.

"We can continue to think on this matter, but for now it _is_ the simplest solution." Dumbledore chimed in calmly.

"There ya go, simplest solution. Can I go to sleep now?" Mis asked, her weariness turning her into a grumpy toddler past nap-time.

"Wait just a…" Sirius started before Mis held up a hand to silence him.

"No, I'm clockin' out. This is happening, so just make like a mirror a face it, Sirius." Mis said crisply.

"Dear god, you _do_ need sleep if you thought that was clever." Snape muttered under his breath. Mis pointed to Snape.

"See what's happening to me? I'm regressing into puns, Sirius! I need to sleep!" She said, sounding horrified with herself.

"But Mis…" Sirius implored.

"Don't care." She said, cutting him off. He looked dejected. She sighed. "Look on the bright side, we'll be like a sitcom. The asshole, the sane one, the possibly gay one, the nice one, the fabulous one, and the head bitch in charge." She said, pointing to Snape, Remus, Sirius, Mrs. Malfoy, Mr. Malfoy and herself respectively.

There was little Sirius could do after that, Mis was no longer allowing him to speak and every time he tried, she just made a stuttering sound until he shut up again. After what felt like days, the Order left. Mis said goodbye to the Weasley's, giving hugs to each of them, telling them to take care of themselves and how grateful she was for their help. The students left with Hagrid and Macgonagall, each getting a hug from Mis, Sirius and Remus…Except Draco, who looked very awkward and out of place.

"Hey." Mis said the golden trio and Ginny. "Take care of him, ok? He's one of us now, and it'll probably be hard for him to deal with everything that's happened. Make sure to keep him away from the Death Eater spawn, they could try and hurt him or something." Mis asked them, looking a little worried.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll take care of lover boy for you." Ginny said with a knowing smirk. Mis didn't dignify that with a response.

"Sure, Mis. We will." Hermione said sweetly. "Though if he starts acting like a prat, I can't promise I won't punch him." She muttered bitterly. Mis laughed.

"Swing with your body, not your arm." Mis advised lightly before hugging the bushy haired girl.

"We'll come back next weekend." Ginny called, waving as she walked out into the courtyard to side along apperate with Macgonagall.

Snape was the last to leave, and although Mis wasn't entirely comfortable with him leaving her sight, she understood that he was a teacher and couldn't stay there with her. She hugged him tightly in the doorway and he gripped her back. Neither said anything, they didn't have to. Mis gave him one last smile before he turned on the spot and popped out of her sight. Mis sighed, and hardly even remembered climbing into bed, and falling asleep.

Mis rolled over in bed, and thought the perhaps dying would be preferable to the pain she was in. Every muscle ached down to the bone and felt as though they'd been marinated in kerosene and then lit. Her throat was raw, and her nose was clogged to hell. She wondered if taking out so many curses the night before had somehow weakened her immune system, because she certainly felt as though they had. The house was quiet at least, and peaceful. Despite her physical troubles though, her heart was buoyant. Mr. and Mrs Malfoy were under the same roof as she, safe and sound. They were free of Voldemort, and so was Snape…She felt her blood run hotter in her veins. Mrs. Weber had told Mis to fight for Voldemort, not against him, but she didn't give a damn. He'd hurt Snape, tortured him with the cruciatus, and who knew what else before Mis had showed up. There was no forgiveness for him, not if he pleaded on bended knee. It was impossible to forgive him, impossible to change him…and that left only one option, defeat him. If Mis had anything to say about it, he was going to burn in hell, even if she had to be the stone around his neck as he sunk into the fire. Against her will, she saw the young Tom Riddle in her mind's eye and she tried to shove it away. That boy was just a shadow; a phantom of what was, but never will be again, she told herself. His fate was sealed and his days were numbered. Mercy could go fuck itself, what Mis wanted was justice, and so she got to planning.

Feeling like a newborn foal, Mis took a shower and got dressed before walking down the stairs gingerly and hobbling into the kitchen. What she saw made her freeze in the threshold of the kitchen. Mr. Malfoy was there…in front of the stove…cooking…with apron on…and it was pink.

"I'm having a stroke." Mis said distantly. Staring at Mr. Malfoy like a deer caught in headlights. He had his long hair tied back in a velvet ribbon, a crisp white shirt rolled up to his elbows, and grey slacks with a matching waistcoat. Mr. Malfoy must've heard her, because a moment later he glance her way. He smiled.

"Good Morning, Miss Holtzer. I hope you don't mind, but I've taken the liberty of making breakfast, are you hungry?" He asked pleasantly. Mis narrowed her eyes as if squinting would reveal some part of the scene in front of her that would cause it all to make sense.

"Uhhhh, Sure…" Mis said, suspicious that she wasn't actually awake. She stepped further into the room and saw Mrs. Malfoy sitting at the kitchen table, an empty plate and a cup of steaming tea in front of her.

"Good morning, dear. Did you sleep well?" Mrs. Malfoy asked with a smile after spotting the girl who'd apparently turned to stone in the doorway.

"Yeah, I uhh, did." Mis said, trying to shake out of her shock. She walked over and sat across from Mrs. Malfoy stiffly, waiting for the punchline.

"I honestly cannot remember the last time I slept so soundly. I think it has something to do with this house, I remember it being so much colder than it is now. It's changed so much… in a good way." Mrs. Malfoy said conversationally. The whole scene was so ridiculously normal, as if the two people Mis was watching were ordinary instead of former Death Eaters. The kind of people that made breakfast, and commented on how well they slept. Their normalcy seemed to smack Mis in the face, forcing her to realize that they weren't the austere, pureblooded Malfoys that she'd always known. No, they were just…people.

"Here you are, Pain Perdu with vanilla cream and strawberries." Mr. Malfoys said, placing a plate in front of her that was wafting a heavenly smell. _Looks like french toast to me, but what do I know about life?_ She thought to herself. Mr. Malfoy looked at her expectantly and Mis quickly picked up her fork and cut off a piece of the bread, adding a strawberry and dipping it all in the vanilla cream. She cheered Mr. Malfoy with her fork and took a nervous bite. She moaned. It was tangy and sweet, with the bread light and fluffy on the inside and a soft crispness on the outside. It was a step away from being sexual.

"Not to be weird…" She said with her mouth full of a second bite. "But I would actually marry this if it were socially acceptable." Mis said, her face completely serious. Both Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy chuckled. She took another bite and closed her eyes to focus on the flavor. "Where'd you learn to cook?" Mis asked Mr. Malfoy in wonder. He smiled as he walked back to the stove.

"It's been a hobby of mine, I enjoy it, and thus far I've yet to receive any complaints." He said charmingly. "Don't tell anyone though, I fear it could ruin my credentials." He said with a wink. Mis laughed.

"Don't worry, your secret's safe with me, if for no other reason than because I want all of your cooking to myself." Mis quipped, hastily taking another bite.

"My thoughts exactly." Mrs. Malfoy confirmed with a bright laugh. Mis sneezed loudly, then sniffled. Mrs. Malfoy looked at her with concern.

"Are you ill, dear?" Mrs. Malfoy asked, gracefully rising from her chair and walking over to stand beside Mis.

"I'm fine." She said, waving off the woman's worry lightly. Mrs. Malfoy didn't buy it, apparently mothers always knew when someone was sick, regardless of wether they were witches or muggles. Mrs. Malfoy placed a cool hand on Mis's forehead and frowned.

"You've got a fever, perhaps you should lay down." Mrs. Malfoy said. The 'perhaps' in that statement meant nothing, Mis had just been ordered by a concerned maternal figure, there was never any 'perhaps' in that situation. Mis shook her head.

"I've gotta go grocery shopping." She said, before sneezing again. Mrs. Malfoy gave her a stern look.

"I'm sure the other three full grown wizards in the house are capable of doing that." the woman said firmly. Mis snorted and gave her a mild look.

"If I send Sirius and Remus out alone, they'll come back with nothing but chocolate bars and cookie dough. Don't be fooled by their age, they're freakin' children." Mis said, though there was a subtle fondness in her voice that did not go unnoticed by Mrs. Malfoy.

"Good Morn…" Sirius stopped in the doorway. Mis looked up at him and then immediately put her head in her hands. He was only wearing boxers.

"Mr. Black, what in the name of Merlin?!" Mr. Malfoy exclaimed, sounding like an affronted old woman.

"Sirius…" Mis said, very calmly. "You forget something?" She asked with a frown and a shrug. Sirius cleared his throat, and puffed out his chest.

"No, Mis. I did not." He said with dignity, and strutted over to sit next to her. Poor Mrs. Malfoy looked like she might faint, and her eyes were downcast. Mrs. Malfoy went to go stand next to her husband, distancing herself from the resident exhibitionist.

"You cannot be serious!" Mr. Malfoy said, gesturing to the mostly naked man at the kitchen table. Mis's eyes shot up to look at Mr. Malfoy. She shook her head and waved her arms wildly in a 'don't do it' gesture, but he didn't get it.

"Actually, that's precisely who I am, Lucius." Sirius replied, so stupidly pleased that he got to use his favorite joke. Mis groaned.

"I rest my case." Mis said to Mrs. Malfoy, waving her hand in the direction of the man sitting next to her.

"What?" Sirius said, pouring himself a cup of coffee from the pot on the table.

"I was just explaining what would happen if I were to let you go grocery shopping by yourself." Mis said, staring at him evenly. She sneezed again, and Mrs. Malfoy quickly overcame her discomfort of Sirius to bustle around the girl again, handing her a tissue and once again placing her hand on Mis's forehead. Mis blew her nose.

"What's wrong, Mis?" Sirius asked, looking suspiciously at Mrs. Malfoy.

"Miss Holtzer is ill, Mr. Black." Mrs. Malfoy said crisply, Mis almost smiled…Mrs. Malfoy had that mom tone again, and hearing it directed at Sirius was doing Mis some mental good.

"I'm sure I'm fine, probably just allergies or something." Mis said waving them off, she had stuff to do, and laying around all day wasn't on the itinerary.

"Morning." Remus said walking into the kitchen, looking worse than hell on a Monday. He took one look at Sirius. "Padfoot…" He muttered. "What the hell?" He asked without conviction.

"Mis is sick." Sirius said, ignoring Remus's reprimand.

"No surprise. You've been doing too much." Remus said to Mis. "You're relaxing today, and that's final." He said sternly.

"Mr. Lupin, could I interest you in some breakfast?" Mr. Malfoy asked politely. Remus did a double take, but righted himself quickly.

"Thank you, Mr. Malfoy." Remus answered, inclining his head in acceptance. The silver haired man passed him a plate laden with the wonderful French Toast, and Remus sat down across from Mis to began eating.

"Oh, sure give anyone but the owner of the house a meal." Sirius muttered under his breath.

"I believe there is a muggle phrase that fits this situation, Mr. Black." Mr. Malfoy said, having clearly heard Sirius. "No shoes, no shirt, no service." The aristocratic man answered with a shrug. Mis blinked twice before busting up with spastic fits of laughter that quickly dissolved into hacking coughs that tore at her sore throat. It took her a minute, and several sips of tea to calm down.

"Such a flawless execution." Mis said, her eyes sparkling with tears from her laugher. "Oh, Mr. Malfoy, teach me your ways." She said shaking her head with a chuckle.

"Whatever…" Sirius said, crossing his arms and looking petulant. Mis placed a hand on Sirius's shoulder bracingly.

"Honey, some artists use paint, some carve stone, but our guest here…"She said gesturing to Mr. Malfoy solemnly. "He's a master of sass; a Sass Master, if you will, and we cannot begrudge a master his craft." She said soberly.

"Thank you, Miss Holtzer, high praise from you, I gather." Mr. Malfoy replied. Mis smirked over at him.

"The highest to which I'm capable." She assured him sincerely.

"Bloody traitor." Sirius muttered, before smacking the back of his hand against her arm. Mis scoffed, affronted, and hit him back on the arm as well. He shoved her, she pushed him. He pinched her.

"Ow!" She yelped, before lunging at him and tackling him to the floor with a thump.

"Get off of me." He said, but he was having a hard time trying not to laugh.

"No, take it back, Sirius." She said climbing on his back, and knocking her knuckles against his skull. "I can stay like this all day." She warned, now having a hard time not laughing herself.

"I don't buy it, you're attention span's too short." He said, grunting as she bounced up and down on his back.

Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy considered the two people on the floor with concern, clearly not understanding the meaning of it. Remus waved his hand airily, not pausing in his meal.

"Ignore them, every so often one of them has to establish who's the alpha. It changes daily. My money's on Sirius today, Mis isn't feeling well." He asked the two shocked people mildly. A moment later, Sirius had succeeded in flipping himself around, with Mis in a loose choke hold.

"Tap out, Missy." Remus advised mildly. Mis scoffed at him, and thrashed hectically.

"Losing your touch, huh?" Sirius taunted. Mis growled.

"I'm frail, bitch. This doesn't count." She said, waving her arms wildly in an attempt to get loose. She did a second later, and scrambled away on her hands and knees. Before she could stand up though, Sirius had, and promptly caught Mis by the waist, and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Mis shrieked and started laughing.

"Put me down, Lassie." She said, lightly hitting his back with her fists.

"Idiots." Remus said, but couldn't help but laugh as well. Mis turned her head, her face red from being upside down and her eyes teary from laughing so much. She saw the Malfoy's, stock still, watching her and Sirius goof off, and felt strangely happy they were there at that moment. She wanted them to see what it was like to act like a fool just because you could. She wanted them to laugh, and show them how fun it was to be silly. She wanted them to know that despite the fact that the world was full of cruelty and darkness, not everything was. There was plenty to laugh about. Sirius bounced up and down, jostling Mis and stealing her train of thought.

"Ok, ok. You win, now put me down before I lose my breakfast." Mis said, laughing heartily.

"That's right I win." He said sternly and set her down. Mis felt dizzy, she clutched her head and grabbed Sirius's arm to steady herself. "You ok?" Sirius asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course she isn't." Mrs. Malfoy said sternly bustling over to Sirius. The man had the good sense to back off slightly as the woman approached with her hands on her hips. "Honestly, she's clearly ill, and I doubt shaking her like a rag doll helped." The woman chastised. Mis looked at Sirius smugly.

"Ha Ha, you're in trouble." Mis taunted Sirius. Mrs. Malfoy's lip twitched upwards before she righted herself.

"You're just as much to blame, young lady. Acting like an adolescent pixie. Off with you, go and lay down." Mrs. Malfoy retorted, clapping her hands crisply. Mis wasn't fool enough to argue, she did feel pretty awful.

"But the groceries…" She said, turning to Mrs. Malfoy. The woman raised one elegant eyebrow, and without warning spun her around and guided her towards the stairs without another word. Mis opened her mouth to argue, but something in Mrs. Malfoy's sharp grey eyes was a bit too frightening to question, best to just do what she said.

"Why is there no rest for the weary?" Mis asked the room at large philosophically. Mis was currently propped up on the living room couch, fluffy blankets and pillows surrounding her aching body. She'd tried to go to her room to lay in bed, but she kept worrying that Sirius and Mr. Malfoy would perhaps attack each other, so with Mrs. Malfoy's help she migrated downstairs and was set up in the living room so as to keep an eye on everyone. Mis knew now that this had been a mistake. If she was in her room, everyone steered clear of her, fearful of waking the proverbial beast, but in the common area…she was free game.

Remus was sitting on the large chair on one side of the sofa, dozing in and out of sleep, the approaching full moon taking a toll on him. Mis had turned on the tv, but Mrs. Malfoy had said something about it being too simulating for her eyes…honestly, mothers were weird no matter what world they were in. So the woman was sitting in a chair on the other side of the sofa, reading from a book that was perhaps more stressful than any tv program she'd ever seen. It was like some wizarding version of Downton Abby and it had Mis clutching the blanket around her tightly in anxiety. Right in the middle of a major reveal, Sirius stormed into the room with Mr. Malfoy following regally. Seeing as Mis was ill as well as Remus, and Mrs. Malfoy wanting to stay with them both, that only left two people to go grocery shopping. If Mis hadn't felt so poorly, she would've been basking in the hilarity of the situation, but in her present state it seemed more like a nuisance.

"He cannot go out in public like this!" Sirius said fiercely, gesturing to Mr. Malfoy's clothes. He was in grey slacks and a matching waist coat, which was fine except for the very long dark green velvet robe that look more expensive than any car Mis had ever owned. The long silver hair didn't help matters either. "You'll stick out like a dragon at a bloody reptile exhibit." Sirius said in outrage.

"Take the robe off, dear." Mrs. Malfoy said, not looking up from her book.

"You've got to blend in. London is big, but muggles are bound to notice a man with long blonde hair who looks like he escaped from a regency painting." Sirius insisted.

"Malfoy's do not keep their heads down, and judging by your current attire, I gather you do not care about your own image so tell me why are you so concerned with mine?" Mr. Malfoy said, clearly unimpressed with Sirius's faded jeans, distressed jeans and plain white t-shirt.

"Oooo, throw that shade." Mis cheered with a snap of her fingers.

"Shut up, Mis, you know I'm right." Sirius answered, pointing at her.

"Lucius, darling…I will not repeat myself." Mrs. Malfoy said calmly. Mis looked over at the woman, cool, graceful and apparently savage as hell.

"Cissa…" Mr. Malfoy said, in a voice that was one step away from a whine. Mrs. Malfoy closed the book in her hand crisply, and looked up and her husband with an expression of warning. Mr. Malfoy pinched his lips and huffed. "Yes, dear." He answered. The two men left the room, one smug, the other still fabulous but more subdued. Mis turned to Mrs. Malfoy.

"Whoa, c-c-c-cold as ice, Mrs. Malfoy." Mis said appreciatively. The woman smirked.

"Lucius is as vain as the day is long, dear. Every now and then I have to gently remind him that there are more important things than being fashionable." She said with a fond chuckle. Mis laughed along with her. Being with Mrs. Malfoy was nice, she had an elegance about her that Mis couldn't help but admire, but what Mis really found inspiring was her strength. Being in such an awful situation for so long hadn't taken away her grace or her gentleness, and if that didn't require strength, Mis didn't know what did. Mis hoped that Mrs. Malfoy and her family could find peace while they were with her, she was confident they could.

The next few days passed without any incident, with everyone acclimating to their new environments. The Malfoy's were pleasant guests, and although still guarded, Mis could see them relaxing and starting to believe that they were truly welcomed and they never had to go back to where they had come from. Mr. Malfoy and Sirius were the biggest source of conflict in the household, both refusing to admit that the reason for that was, in fact, their similarities…mainly regarding vanity. Remus was having none of it, but the two women in the house were able to look at the humor in the situation.

It took a couple days for Mis to feel better, and by the fourth day of the Malfoy's stay, she was feeling fit as a fiddle again. She had liked being babied by everyone though, what with Mrs. Malfoy reading to her, Sirius making sure she had a constant supply of medication and junk food, and Remus keeping her company, she found that it wouldn't be so bad to get sick more often.

The girl was thoroughly enjoying herself, and was currently sitting at the dimly lit kitchen with a pint of berry ice-cream in her hand and a fluffy cover draped over her shoulders. Everyone had gone to sleep a while ago, and the house was full of a peaceful quiet that Mis soaked in like leaves in sunshine. Mis smiled to herself as she scooped another spoonful of ice-cream. She had everything she wanted at that moment, and a pint of ice-cream to boot.

There was a knock at the door. Mis froze with the spoon stuck in her mouth. She glanced the clock on the wall. It was after midnight, and she'd learned from experience that good news never comes at that time of night.

"Goddammit…" She muttered. Whoever was at the door was almost definitely going to fuck with her chill, and Mis wasn't pleased about that. She yanked the spoon from her mouth, slammed it on the table in disgust and threw the cover off of her shoulders. Her most fearsome expression in place, she stomped to the door, unlocked it and swung it open. Snape and Dumbledore stood on the stoop, the former in his typical heavy black robes, and the latter in a shade of purple that didn't seem safe to stare directly at, lest it cause the viewer's retinas to shrivel like raisins in the sun.

"Good evening, Miss Holtzer. Could I trouble your ear for a moment?" Dumbledore asked pleasantly. Mis felt her eye twitch. "I realize it's late, but it is urgent." He continued with a smile. She blinked slowly, but didn't move to let them in. Snape huffed.

"Before judgment day would be nice, Holtzer." He said disdainfully. Wordlessly, Mis stepped aside and waved them in limply, closing the door behind them and, still without speaking, walked back to the kitchen. Damned if they were gonna take her ice-cream from her. She sat down and motioned for them to do the same before once again picking up the spoon and pint of ice cream to continue eating.

"Is that on Mad-eye's meal plan?" Snape asked, just to be an ass.

"Do I look like I care?" She said. She turned the label towards him. "Look, it's berry, I'm getting a fruit serving." She said through a mouthful. Snape rolled his eyes. Mis looked up at the two men sitting across from her. She stuck the spoon in her mouth and stood up, walking over to the silverware drawer, she retrieved two more spoons and sat back down. She stuck both into the softened ice cream and slid it across the table. Dumbledore's eyes brightened endearingly, unstuck a spoonful and ate happily. Mis almost smiled.

"Well, my dear, as you know, I've been doing a bit of independent research on your abilities and only recently have uncovered something that you'll find intriguing, I think." The old man chatted pleasantly. Mis tapped her finger on the table impatiently and pointed toward the pint. Snape looked at her with annoyance, and slid the pint over to her wordlessly. She scooped some out and slid it back. Snape placed it in front of Dumbledore, before wiping his hand off on his sleeve disgustedly.

"Continue…" Mis said, her voice muffled by the spoon in her mouth.

"It would seem you are not the first to stumble into a world that isn't your own, or perhaps stumble is the wrong word…allow me to rephrase, you are not the first to be _sent_ to a world that isn't your own." Dumbledore said.

Mis liked to think she was a master of deadpan humor, Snape was certainly a contender, but Dumbledore…He was the dark horse. He had the uncanny ability to say the most outrageous things in the same tone one normally only uses when commenting on the weather. Mis racked her brains. She'd never told anyone that she wasn't from this world, not that is was necessarily a secret she was guarding, she just didn't think it was strictly relevant. Magic didn't effect her, end of story, no need to bring inter-dimensional travel into the mix. Mis cleared her throat.

"Ok, I'll bite…What'd you find?" Mis asked. Dumbledore smiled.

"Are you perchance familiar with Arthurian legend?" The old man asked politely.

"Not really, Greek and Roman mythology is more my thing. My mom's a professor of ancient religions and my dad is just obsessive…" She said trailing off. Snape snapped his fingers at her. "I mean, I know King Arthur, Merlin, Excalibur, The round table and the Holy Grail but that's the extent." She said, shaking out of her reminiscence. Dumbledore nodded with his eyes twinkling and a knowing smile on his face.

"Oh and I saw the Raiders of the Lost Ark a bunch of times…does that count, oh, and I know that, in short there's simply not a more congenial spot for happily ever after-ing." She said quickly. Snape groaned.

(She lists the camelot.)

"Interestingly enough, the basis for the legends of King Arthur are, in fact, derived from a Roman officer by the name of…" Mis gasped, cutting Dumbledore off mid-sentence.

"Lucius Artorius Castus…" Mis said, nodding her head as Dumbledore's words jogged her memory. "Yeah, now that you say that, I remember my mom wrote a dissertation, well not on Castus specifically, but basically about the integration of Greek and Roman mythology into Celtic traditions and culture…Castus was the historical King Arthur." Mis said, her eyes brightening.

"Yes, precisely." Dumbledore said happily. Mis clutched her chest and sighed.

"I thought you were coming to tell me something awful…" She laughed. "So what about Castus?" Mis asked, suddenly cheerful.

"Merlin, as you well know, was Arthur or rather Castus's companion…of course through the ages, the story has been distorted almost beyond recognition, as well as Merlin's life, which few know the true story of. However, through his surviving writings I was able to find several rather interesting tidbits about both men." Dumbledore said, clearly happy with Mis's enthusiasm. Mis felt a strange thrill in her heart that she didn't really understand, but she was on the edge of her seat, dying to hear what Dumbledore had found out.

"Merlin considered Castus to be a sort of demigod, as he, like yourself was immune to magical influence. Magic directed at him had no effect, neither charms, nor curses, nor potions. Though he could use certain magical objects if the objects themselves had a fundamental magic within them. Magical creatures were able to harm him, and he was know for have a dragon burn on his right shoulder, most animals however, be they magical or otherwise often took a liking to him…" Dumbledore said rapidly, before pausing himself and chuckling. "I believe I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. I don't suppose you'd like to hear a story?" Dumbledore asked. Mis fought the urge to gasp like an excited toddler, but she did take a sharp inhale and nod her head with zeal.

"Here we go…my entire night about to vanish like dust in the wind." Snape muttered to himself.

"Like literally or are you just throwing out a Kansas reference?" Mis asked him, unable to stop herself.

"Does it fucking matter?" Snape replied tiredly. Mis snorted.

"I think I'm entitled to know if you're a Kansas fan, Snape…It's like how sex offenders have to be on a registry." She said. Snape narrowed his coal eyes at her.

"Allow me to understand…You're comparing sex offenders to Kansas fans?" He asked in disbelief. Mis shrugged.

"Both are warts on the ass of humanity." Mis answered blandly. Snape cracked his jaw.

"This, coming from the girl who's a fan of Lionel fucking Richie…un-ironically!" Snape spat it outrage. Mis sucked in an affronted gasp.

"You swore you'd never use that against me!" She said in outrage, clutching her heart in betrayal.

"I said nothing of the kind." Snape said with dignity. "…and for the bloody record, I am not a Kansas fan. However, I do happen to like the song Dust in the Wind, it's marvelously pessimistic and perfectly expresses the futility of human existence and accomplishment, which is a message I can get behind." He said crisply. Mis scoffed, before giving Snape an intense glare.

"You know what? I do like Lionel Richie! Everyone likes Hello, Snape, and anyone who says they don't is lying to themselves." She said with conviction. "The song is great, and the music video is a goddamn masterpiece. The girl's blind, he keeps asking her 'Is it me you're _looking_ for', and the ultimate plot twist…a fucking face statue that she made from memory. What more do you want?!" She demanded fiercely.

"He's a stalker who wants to be in a relationship with one of his students, Holtzer! How askew are your ideas of a healthy relationship?" He asked, getting just as heated as she was. She was about to respond, but before she could, Dumbledore chuckled softly. Mis and Snape both looked at him, his blue eyes twinkling at full force.

"I believe the two of you are happiest when arguing with each other. I do enjoy seeing the diverse ways people show their love." The old man said fondly. Mis and Snape both deflated, all the vinegar out of them at Dumbledore's words. Mis couldn't help but smile. Mis shook her head, the smile still in place and looked over at Snape. What Dumbledore said was true, and Mis wouldn't have it any other way.

"So…" She said rising from her seat. "What's the story and can I get anyone some tea?" She asked peppily.

"Orange spice would be lovely." Dumbledore answered. She raised an eyebrow at Snape in query. He waved his hand in a 'might as well' kind of way. and Mis went to heat the kettle.

"Merlin's story has been lost over the years, whether by accident or design it is unclear, but I favor the latter. Merlin did many great things in life, and benefited not only the wizarding population but the muggle one as well, but he was not always so benevolent. Early in his life, he gravitated towards the dark arts, as many gifted witches and wizards do. It is easy to convince oneself that wizards are superior when youth is at the height of folly, and natural born talent is gasoline on that dangerous fire of thought. It should also be noted that Merlin was, in fact, an ancestor of Salazar Slytherin, and the drive for power is all but ingrained in that line's bloodstream. In youth, it is often the opinion of one who thinks he is wise to claim that magic is neither good nor evil, it is simply a physical force, the same as gravity…and no one blames gravity when a child trips and skins his knee.

Power corrupts…and no one can resist it forever, especially when it is so freely given to the gifted. Merlin was no exception to this in his early life. He created some of the darkest curses in history, though today we call them the unforgivables…Yes, it is Merlin who first harnessed the most ancient of dark magics. But then Merlin met Castus.

Castus was only a child of 14 when Merlin found him, and like yourself, Castus had knowledge that he should, by rights, not possess. It's unclear precisely how Castus managed it, but for some reason he was able to cause Merlin to forsake the dark arts forever. We simply don't know whether Castus caused a change of heart in Merlin, or if it was by some kind of coercion or bribery, but not long after his arrival, Merlin turned from the dark arts and spent the rest of his days attempting to redeem himself of the destruction he'd caused. He only ever mentioned it once in one of his journals. The entry read: _The wanderer made a promise, blessed by Triodia, how could any mortal refuse?_

Castus lived many years with Merlin, but after the Battle of Camlann he was never seen again. Legend says that Castus suffered a mortal wound that could only be healed in Avalon, but this telling does not match up with Merlin's account. Merlin states that Castus left because _he paved a road, but it had never been for himself to walk._

Mis knew there were certain moments in life when realizations decides to punch the face of someone unsuspecting and then sit back smugly. Mis felt as though she been shut in a dim room that her eyes had adjusted to, and she believed she could see everything clearly. Then someone had decided to switch on the light, and it burned at first but then everything made more sense.

"It's possible?" Mis whispered to herself. She'd no idea Merlin had ever been a dark wizard, but considering the power he must've possessed at a young age, she really didn't find it all that surprising. He'd changed, but how? What had Castus done?

"Pardon?" Dumbledore inquired politely, though his eyes were flickering like the bottom of a candle.

"But how did Castus do it?" Mis asked Dumbledore, her face confused.

"Weren't you listening, Holtzer? There's only one mention of it in Merlin's surviving writings…No one knows how Castus managed it." Snape said in a slow voice.

"Can I see the book, please?" Mis asked quickly. She wanted to see it for herself and make doubly sure that there was really no clue. Dumbledore look confused, but reached into the inner pocket of his robes and pulled out a small red book wrapped in soft red leather. He held it out to her and Mis took it. It was severely worn and when she opened it, she saw the pages were yellowed with age and brittle feeling. On the inside cover a small script caught her eye, etched into the red leather in gold lettering.

 _In men whom men condemn as ill,_

 _I find so much of goodness still._

 _In men whom men pronounce divine_

 _I find so much of sin and blot,_

 _I do not dare to draw a line_

 _between the two, where God has not._

Mis squinted her eyes, she knew that poem but it was impossible for it to be there, in a book that was she didn't know how many thousands of years old.

"Joaquin Miller didn't write this until after the mid 1850's…" She said quietly, she looked up at the two men who were watching her carefully. "Merlin couldn't have just stumbled across this, someone had to have told it to him…Castus must've come from some time after 1850…" Mis said slowly. She gasped sharply and covered her mouth. "Castus…He was just like me…" Mis said in shock, her voice muted against her hands.

"Yes, Holtzer…that's what the Headmaster said at the very beginning…" Snape replied, in a voice that indicated he was concerned about her mental acuity. Mis stood up and slammed her hands down on the table, her head bowed, and her shoulders shaking from some indiscernible but fierce emotion. "Holtzer…?" Snape said, now sounding a bit concerned.

"This is the last goddamn time." She growled, before roughly pushing herself away from the table and storming to the countertop where her phone was laying innocently.

"What on earth…" Snape muttered. Mis held up her hand, and with the other unlocked her phone and found Mrs. Weber's number in her recent calls. Mis tapped the screen aggressively and held it up to her ear. It range once, twice, three times and Mis was about to combust with fury.

"Well, if it isn't…" Mis didn't allow the old woman to finish her sentence.

"For fuckssake, Mrs. Weber! Why didn't you tell me about Castus?!" Mis yelled into the phone, no doubt waking up the entire house. "When are you people going to learn that explaining things makes life easier for _everyone_?!" She demanded, her shrill voice ringing through the house. "You could've told me this has been done before! I wouldn't have thought it was a lost cause then. We've lost inside information to the Death Eaters, because you didn't tell me this!" Mis bellowed. Mis was breathing heavily, and she heard the old woman click her lighter and take a deep inhale.

"I did tell you, Mis…you didn't want to hear it." The old woman replied calmly.

"You did not! You were going on about looking beyond what I perceive of him, there was never any mention of another fucking inter-dimensional traveler!" She said in outrage.

"What in the hell is going on?" Remus asked in both worry and annoyance, storming into the kitchen along with Sirius.

"The problem is your hatred of Tom Riddle, Missy. You may have not believed it was possible to save him, but that was not what deterred you from trying, and you know it. It was your bitterness, your anger and your pride and fear that stopped you." Mrs. Weber answered, in a voice that was infuriating in it's calm. Mis pinched her lips together, the anger inside her felt like a physical force pulling against her body, threatening to burn her until nothing remained but ashes. "You hate him now, more than you ever did before, Mis, because he hurt Snape. This is the last time I tell you…if you wish to create a lasting change on that world, you have to save Tom Riddle first. You know that no one can force you, I left it in your hands…It's time for a real answer, Mis…What are you going to do?"

Mis was frozen where she stood, caught in the whirlwind of her own emotions and unable to see clearly because of it. She'd meant what she'd said the last time she spoke to Mrs. Weber, she was willing to give it a chance…but then he'd hurt Snape, and that had made her good intentions wither away. She saw everything laid out before her, the two roads with every detail in sharp focus, and every step calculated and accounted for. It was terrifying. There was no room in either for second guesses or half measures.

Mis growled at herself. Why was this so damn hard? _Because it is real._ The often ignored quiet voice answered in the back of Mis's mind. Lives were depending on her choices, and she hated that she'd only vaguely guessed what that would feel like. Mis wilted, sitting down on the hard kitchen floor with her back against the cabinets. She put her forehead in her free hand, and felt like crying. Was this always what her friends felt like? As if every action could mean the difference between peace and destruction? Life or death? How had they managed this long? How were they still able to smile? What strength did they have that she didn't?

"Mis?" She heard Sirius ask with concern. "What's wrong?" He asked Dumbledore and Snape.

"It appears as though Miss Holtzer is having her metal tested." Snape answered simply. Mis was only partially aware of the others in the room as she tried to fight against an internal avalanche of doubt and hate and fear. Doubt that she could do what she needed to, Hate that she'd been asked to, and Fear that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't be able to. Under the pressure of her hatred of Voldemort and the juxtaposition of what she had to do for him, she felt as though she were crumbling like stone beneath a hammer.

Mis looked up at the others in the room, her eyes possessing a brittle quality as if at any moment, something behind them would break and spill out of her. Her eyes wandered over each of their faces. She loved them like family, and she didn't know how to protect them…

But she did, she realized. She wasn't alone, everyone wanted to protect each other. She'd been struggling under the weight of her mission alone. She wanted to protect them and at that moment she realized that in order to do that she needed to tell them everything. They needed to understand what she had to do…

She may be breakable, but with Snape, Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, and the whole Order, she could afford to be. She had their backs and they had hers, they could pick up her slack when she was weak, and she could do the same for them. Mis huffed one last time and squared her shoulders. She knew she was strong, she knew what she was capable of…and she had her friends, how could she lose?

Castus had somehow changed a dark man into a good one, it was possible…No one was too far gone, there's no such thing as a lost cause.

"Ok, Mrs. Weber, I think I understand…I-I know what to do, I've made my choice…I'm sorry it took me so long." She said as firmly as she could manage. She stood up and her dark eyes were bright and sharp with determination.

"Listen carefully to me, Mis. Wanting justice is not bad, but we must always be carful with the sentences we determine. We must be cautious in how we measure others, because the ruler we use will be measured back to us. It is better to ere on the side of mercy for this reason." Mrs. Weber answered gently. "You needn't be sorry, sometimes truth hides from us, or rather, we hide from it…as long as it is found in the end, there's no need to dwell on the time you spent looking for it."

Mis could hear the smile in the old woman's voice, and was suddenly very glad that she had her as a guide.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weber…Goodnight." Mis said softly.

"You're welcome, Missy. Goodnight." Mrs. Weber said.

Mis pulled the phone away from her face and tapped the screen to end the call, then set it down on the kitchen table with a sigh. She looked at Snape, Dumbledore, Remus and Sirius for a moment, think about how she was going to explain. Mis laughed wryly at herself and sighed. She clapped her hands once and sat down.

"Alright…" She said. "Here's the deal…"

Mis told them everything, about her promise to Hecate and Mrs. Weber, and how she'd never wanted to keep it. She poured her heart out to them, trying feebly to explain how much she didn't want to help Voldemort because she was frightened that they would hate her if they knew she was going to try and save him. She told them of her hatred of Voldemort, and how she still hated him, but that in order for them to remain safe and alive, she would need to look past it. She told them about the Battle of Hogwarts, and about all the deaths she wanted to prevent. She told them of their own deaths, and she promised that she wouldn't let any of it happen. She told them about Voldemort's horcruxes, and she told them about Harry and she explained his connection to Voldemort. Mis had broken the dam, and the truth flooded recklessly out of her as she paced up and down the kitchen, explaining everything she could think of to her captive audience. I was dawn before she finally realized she had nothing left to say. She sat down on the table bench heavily, exhausted and waiting with her heartbeat faster than a rabbit on the run.

"Holtzer, please face the other direction. The anxiety on your face is exhausting me." Snape said, with his forehead in his hands. Mis didn't even bother taking offense to that comment, she was far too happy that Snape didn't hate her for the promise she'd made.

"That's your response?" She asked. "I go full Delphi on you, and _that's_ your response?" She asked evenly with a frown and a shrug.

"The human brain can only process so much at once, Mis." Remus informed her, his hand s threaded through his sandy hair. Snape cleared his throat.

"So you're telling me… Voldemort made seven horcruxes, one unintentionally who happens to be Harry Potter, three of which are already destroyed, but we cannot use this knowledge to defeat him on account of a promise you made to a mythical deity, furthermore, if this promise is not kept we'll all die…does that about cover it?" Snape asked Mis tonelessly. Mis cleared her throat.

"Yeah, that's the gist." Mis confirmed with a terse nod. Snape rubbed his temple.

"Alright then." Snape said, as if business was usual.

"Mis…" Sirius address her somberly. Mis looked at him and saw his stone grey eyes swirling with worry. "What does this mean for Harry?" He asked, almost too quiet to hear. Mis had intentionally left the part about Harry going into the forbidden forrest to sacrifice himself. Mis exhaled heavily.

"I don't know…the first time he…he went to meet Voldemort in the forbidden forest and kinda died." Mis said hesitantly.

"What the hell does that mean?!" Sirius shouted. "What does 'kind of died' mean?!" Sirius demanded of her. Mis looked at him gently. She knew Sirius wasn't mad at her, he was just frightened and she could understand why. She had to be patient with him.

"Harry found out he was a horcrux, and there's only one way to destroy a horcrux, Sirius…The vessel has to be broken beyond repair…He died, but he didn't stay dead…He uhh…" Mis tried to figure out a way to explain what happened. "Ok, so there was this like…ethereal King's Cross platform, and Dumbledore was dead so he was there and he explained everything…sort of, then Harry came back from the dead, but Voldemort didn't know and Mrs. Malfoy covered for him, and then he defeated Voldemort." Mis said, realizing that she sounded totally insane. She cleared her throat and looked at Sirius. His eyes were narrowed and his brows furrowed in thought. He opened his mouth, then closed it.

"That doesn't make any sense." Sirius said, shaking his head and looking very confused. Mis blinked twice before bursting out into laughter so loud everyone jolted where they sat. It took her a minute to gather herself.

"I know, man… _Believe_ me, I know." She said sympathetically, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "That shit never flew with me." She assured Sirius bracingly. She sobered up when she met Sirius's eyes again. Her heart squeezed painfully at the troubled look on his face. "I'm sorry, Lassie…but I don't know how to fix that, I don't know if there's any other way to destroy the bit of Voldemort's soul inside Harry…" She said honestly. "I mean, it's not like we can just…"

Mis stopped short, her brain short circuiting and blinded by the idea that had just entered it. She looked at Dumbledore, then down at his un-blackened arm. Dumbledore's brilliant blue eyes pierced her, immediately understanding her train of thought.

"Do you think it's possible?…" Mis asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What?" Sirius asked urgently looking between Dumbledore and Mis, but Mis ignored him, all her focus was on the aged wizard sitting next to Snape.

"If it is Miss Holtzer…it would mean Harry would be severed from the Dark Lord." Dumbledore said heavily. Mis felt as though her heart could beat straight out of her chest. She took a shaking breath.

"Hecate told me Harry doesn't have to be the chosen one, she said I could take that burden from him…Maybe this is what she meant!" Mis exclaimed. There was a loud gasp from Sirius as he suddenly understood what Mis and Dumbledore were talking about.

"You can take it out of Harry…" He said slowly, almost like a question.

"Oh, finally made it, have you?… and just under five minutes, must be a record for you, Black." Snape commented disdainfully. It was testament to Sirius's focus that he didn't retort to Snape's snide comment and instead attempted to burn a hole into Mis's face.

"I don't see why I shouldn't be able to…assuming it works the same way as when I take out a curse." Mis said nodding.

"We need to get Harry here right away then, so you can take it out of him." Sirius said hectically, rising from his seat fast.

"I'm not sure if it is as simple as that, Sirius…Miss Holtzer, should have time to think about it." Dumbledore said, his voice strangely dark. Mis's eye shot to the old man, stunned by his trepidation and grim tone.

"What's there to think about?!" Mis demanded. "If I can take Voldemort's soul out of Harry, of course I'll do it." She insisted. Dumbledore gave Mis a look somewhere between pity and concern. He sighed tiredly, suddenly looking very old and frail. Mis furrowed her brow, not understanding his reaction.

"Miss Holtzer, this is not a curse you'll be absorbing, this is part of a soul; a living thing, not a mere force. If it cannot cling to Harry, it will cling to you instead…I fear that if you do this, you would simply become the new horcrux." Dumbledore answered her and although his voice was soft and quiet, Mis felt as though his words were crashing through the silent room, rattling against her like the reverberation of a gunshot. Mis felt her knees weaken, and her blood run cold in her veins. She'd be the new horcrux?

"We…we don't know that…" Sirius said quietly, clearly clinging to the possibility that Dumbledore's statement wasn't true.

"Bloody hell, Black. I knew you were low, but this?" Snape spat acidly. "Is this something you'd risk?! You'd sacrifice Holtzer's life, without even a thought to what's best for her?!" Snape said viciously, rising from his seat as well and rounding on Sirius. Sirius's face went red and his grey eyes flashed.

"You take that back!" He shouted. "She's family! I would only ever want what was best for her!" Sirius insisted, his voice booming through the kitchen.

"Of course, Of course…as long as it happens to benefit you as well! She rescues you from the underworld, takes care of your house, and now you want her to take Harry's place as the fucking Chosen One?!" Snape yelled, just as impressively as Sirius had. Mis felt her blood boil, now was not the fucking time.

"Somebody better put a goddamn silencing charm on Abbot and Costello before I set myself on fire! I can't hear myself think!" She bellowed, positively dwarfing the two men's voices with her own. The limit had been reached. Both men stopped cold. It had been a while since Mis had screamed at them like that, and something told them that the dark fire in her eyes was not something to test. No one moved. "Did I fucking stutter? Remus!" She barked, pointing to the werewolf. "Shut them up!" She growled. The man immediately waved his wand to avoid being in her bad graces, and silenced Snape and Sirius. Both men immediately tested the charm, moving their mouths to speak, but no sound came out. Mis took a satisfied breath in. Sirius clapped his hand on the table in agitation. Mis pinched her lips and wordlessly dared him to make one more sound. He went still and crossed his arms. Mis sat down on the kitchen bench with a thump, and put her forehead in her hands, her fingers threading through her dark hair.

If Mis was being honest with herself, she'd known it wouldn't be as easy as it appeared at first glance…that was just the way it was, but she didn't feel weak, because she had a clear goal now. Mis sighed and looked up at her companions. She smiled a little sadly.

"That makes sense, I guess." Mis said, nodding somberly. She straighten up in her seat. "Everything I've done here has only had one motivation behind it…I just want you all to be happy and safe. I'm willing to take a bullet for that. If Harry's no longer a horcrux, he'll be free. What kind of person would I be if I had the key to someone's freedom and didn't offer it to them? That's not who I want to be, that's not who I am…I'm doing this, not just for Harry, for all of you…If I have a part of Voldemort's soul in me, maybe then I'll be able to accomplish what I need to in order to keep you all safe." She said, her shoulders squared and her head tilted upwards proudly. "I love you all so much…" She said, her voice cracking. Sirius smacked Remus on the shoulder and pointed to his mouth. Remus looked at Mis, she nodded, and the werewolf waved his wand releasing the two men from the silencing charm. Wordlessly, Sirius walked over to her, stood her up from her seat. She looked up at him, and he pulled her into his arms. He hugged her tightly as if he were trying to keep her from breaking apart, and Mis loved him for it.

Sirius knew that once Mis got an idea in her head, trying to change her mind was about as easy as moving the moon to change the tides. All he could do was show her that he was there, and she wasn't alone. Mis didn't need to be told that though, she knew he'd be there no matter what she chose…He'd called her family, and in a world of enemies and strangers that was something precious beyond measure. There was a loud screech of the wood bench on the floor, Mis jolted and she pulled away from Sirius to see Snape, livid and standing still as stone as he glared at her. He gave her a look of utter loathing and stormed from the room. Mis detached herself from Sirius and ran after him.

"Snape!" She called following him into the hall. She reached out to grab him by the arm, but he rounded on her before she could.

"What?!" He demanded of her roughly. She recoiled at the anger in his face and venom in his tone. "Let yourself be used, go on, sacrifice yourself, you bloody moron!" He shouted at her. "What the hell do you need me for?"

Mis stared at him, her heart seizing painfully in her chest.

"Please don't be mad." She said softly. He gave a derisive snort.

"Don't be mad? Why do you do this?! You're setting yourself up like a pig for slaughter, simpering along with your fucking savior complex just like the rest of them! Damn you for that!" He spat at her. Mis felt anger suddenly take place of the concern she'd had only moment before.

"I'm not! I'm trying to what's right and within my power, Snape! Just because you want to get away with the barest contribution possible, doesn't mean I have to follow suit! You do your job, but treat everyone like shit because you can't let go of the past!" She snapped harshly, stung by what he said. She saw him wince microscopically at her words, and immediately wished she could take them back. They fell into an tense silence.

"I'm sorry." She said quickly. "I didn't mean…"

"I'm leaving." He said cutting her off and turning to walk towards the front door. Instinctually, Mis ran past him and shielded the door, preventing him from leaving.

"I'm not letting you run away." She said fiercely, holding her arms up to block the door. "We're going to talk and understand each other, and I don't care if we have to talk until the sun sets and comes back around again. I'm not stopping until this is resolved." She said obstinately. Snape glared at her, and Mis could see frustration and anger in his coal black eyes.

"You think I give a damn about what you do with your life?! I don't, you're just a little girl who thinks her actions matter, who's trying to save a broken world like a child playing make-believe. It disgusts me!" He spat acidly, his face contorted and crueler than she'd ever seen it. Mis held her head up proudly, completely unaffected.

"I'm not Lily, Snape…There's nothing you can say that I can't forgive. So take your empty insults and put them back in your pocket, because you can't fool me." She said firmly. Perhaps she should've been angry that he'd try and push her away with his words, but she wasn't…She'd seen it before, and she was undeterred by it. "I don't disgust you, and you do care about me. On another note, fuck you for trying to push me away." She said clinically. Snape was scared for her, and instead of his harsh words hurting her, she saw them for what they really were, an attempt to protect himself from getting hurt, because he cared enough about her that her pain was the same as his. She took a cautious step forward. He looked down at her, a strange expression on his face, as if all the emotion he kept inside were coming out and his face wasn't sure which emotion to display first.

"What the fuck do you want me to say, Holtzer?" He asked, his voice no longer heated with anger, it sounded more like pleading now. "I don't want to see you become something different that what you are? What do you expect me to do if you…" Snape grit his teeth together and tried to swallow down his emotions, but he couldn't hide them from her, she saw every single one. Mis threw herself at him, and clung to his middle with all the strength she had in her body.

Snape didn't know what in the holy hell was happening to him, or how he'd grown so attached to the idiot girl attempting to squeeze the life out of him. He was terrified in a way he hadn't been in a long time. A thousand things could happen if she took that part of the Dark Lord's soul into herself, and there was nothing he could do but watch her throw herself into the fire. This stupid girl gave too much of herself, and he didn't want to see her give so much that it left nothing for her live on. She was so young, with so much still to do, and she was willing to give it up, so her bloody friends could be happy…how inane, but that was just the way she was…and he admired that about her and hated it as well. He felt a stab in the vicinity of his chest. He regretted the things he'd said moments before, honestly, did he never learn from his mistakes? He'd pushed Lily away, acting the fool enough times to finally succeed when he'd uttered that unforgivable word. But Holtzer wasn't Lily…There were certain similarities between them, a formidable temper, a good heart, and an easy confidence…but Lily had perhaps taken things more seriously than Holtzer did. Holtzer had a way of brushing things aside, and although her temper was just as bad as Lily's had been, she offered forgiveness before it was even asked for…He wasn't worthy of that, he wasn't worthy of the friendship and love she gave without question.

"Snape…" Holtzer said, her voice muffled pressed against his middle. "I can hear the guilty thoughts in your head, and I'm only gonna say this once…shut it off, I'm not putting up with any of that self loathing bullshit you want to drown in." Holtzer said, her tone gentle. Snape hugged her back and, not for the first time, thought to himself how nice it was that she was a hugger, and aggressive, unstoppable hugger. She must have some kind of sense that could tell when someone needed to be hugged. He hated it in a way, but Snape recognized that even he needed a hug sometimes. She was the one who needed comforting, but somehow she'd ended up comforting him. Snape pushed her back by the shoulders and held her there, looking at her face. It was a sweet, gently formed face, and so at odds with the sharpness of her eyes and her fierce nature.

Holtzer had made his life better, he realized. Christ's sake, he hadn't made Longbottom cry in nearly a month. Every time he had the urge to snap at that incompetent toad of a student, he saw Holtzer in his minds eye, ready to reprimand him for needlessly being an ass. No she hadn't made his life better, she'd made _him_ better. She'd made him better, though, not through scolding, rather by example. She just seemed to appreciate everything so damn much, the littlest things made her happy and she was content with simplicity. She treated love like water, recognizing it's utter normalcy yet knowing, more profoundly than most, that without it, life would wither and die. So she gave love to everything she deemed worthy, which to be fair, was most things, and the longer Snape knew her the more he began to treasure that about her.

Mis watched Snape's face as he held her by the shoulders and stared at her. It was strange, she thought, that if anyone else were to look so unwaveringly at her face, she would feel uncomfortable, but with him, she simply didn't mind. Because in a way, they belonged to each other. All she wanted was to love him, and show him that he had a home…that she would be his home, because in this world that wasn't her's, he felt like something familiar that she'd always known and always would know. He felt like home to her, and to Mis's mind, there was no higher love than that. She wanted to comfort him, she wanted to let him know that she wasn't going anywhere.

"You don't have to worry about me, Snape. I'm gonna be ok, and so are you. I mean, what could possibly go wrong?" She said jokingly. Snape gave her one of his very rare half smiles.

"Literally everything." He answered mildly. Mis snorted and gripped his forearms.

"Snape, there's only one thing you can do when chaos laughs at you…" She said with false seriousness. Snape raised any eyebrow.

"Laugh back?" He finished, unimpressed. Mis beamed.

"Exactly." She said with a decisive nod.


	18. Mr Barkie Pants

**Yes, draw and quarter me, I totally deserve it and won't even put up a fight. Blame Trump for me not updating. I was almost finished with this chapter on the last update, but I really wasn't happy with it so I scrapped the whole thing and started from scratch. Anyhoo, I was definitely chuckling as I wrote some of this, so I hope it make's you guys laugh too. Be sure to leave a review, they make me so happy and brighten my day so much to hear what y'all think.**

 **MotherRuss1a: I'm so glad you're liking it!**

 **Margo13331: That was...cryptic. I tried decoding it, but the only thing I could think of was that Britney Speares' song from several years ago.**

 **HypocriticalCommunistFromSpace: Damn Commie, that review was spicy, man.**

 **OliverNox: Snape loves hugs, but he too much of a bawk bawk chicken to initiate, lol, he'll get there I'm sure.**

 **JJ: Honey, where do I even begin with your wonderful review? Well, I'll start by saying that I read it to nearly my entire family _and_ the friends I can trust with the knowledge that I write fanfiction. Your review was so thoughtful and it made me smile like an idiot for no less than three days! It means so much to me that you're enjoying the story as much as you are. It's fantastically fun to write, and I'm overjoyed that you seem to think it's as fun to read. You're a beautiful goddamn cinnamon roll that's too good for this world, too pure.**

Chapter 18: Mr. Barkie Pants

Dumbledore explained everything to the Order on the following evening. The reaction was remarkably subdued, considering the subject matter. Apparently, they were all simply getting used to the reality that wherever Mis happened to be involved, shocks and disturbances were not far behind. Mis was certainly getting used to the constant barrage of trouble, but then she'd always had a knack for taking things in without breaking stride. Mis was going to absorb a piece of Voldemort's soul, to some that would be a conflicting situation, but to her at that point, it was just a Monday. The realization that Harry was an accidental horcrux was what caused the biggest uproar, with many exclamations and gasps filling up the kitchen. Mis was impressed with Harry's mature reaction, mature meaning he didn't faint on the spot, though Mis certainly wouldn't have blamed him if he had.

Dumbledore did a superb job of quickly offering up Mis's possible solution so as to avoid a deafening, but entirely justified, symphony of outrage and horror. Harry had the most intense reaction to Mis's proposal of trying to extract the soul the same way she had extracted curses. He was adamant that he didn't want anyone to face what was _his_ burden, and also insisted that he wouldn't wish his fate on anyone. Of course everyone was of two minds about it, as it didn't seem so much of a problem solution as much as a problem transfer. Mis needed Harry to at least let her try and take it out of him, so she did what any honorary Slytherin would do… She cheated. Mis knew if she were to address Harry directly in an attempt to convince him, she'd be met with a stubbornness that rivaled her own, so she went over his head and appealed to his loved ones.

"I know I'm not the only one who thinks Harry's been through a lot, let's be real here, 80% of it's been one shit short of a sewage plant. No offense intended, he has all of you, but I think we can all agree that he's suffered enough. If any of you were in my position, I know you'd do the same as me. I can give Harry a chance at a normal life, where he can't see into Voldemort's mind, where he can be at least _partially_ free of that psycho piece of wet toast. If you could do for him what I can, wouldn't you at least want the opportunity to try?" Mis had said, her voice full of certainty and strength. She held her back straight and her head proudly, her dark, cutting eyes blazing in a way that, by then, was familiar to the Order, it was the look she had when her mind was made up. Yet despite the obvious determination she exuded, everyone agreed that she should take at least a week to consider. Mis had initially protested, but Snape kicked her shin under the table, which effectively shut her up. She accepted their ruling, and it was agreed that everyone would be back in one week's time where Mis would make her final call.

Two day's after the meeting found Mis in the kitchen, her hair in a knot at the top of her head with loose strands falling to stick against her sweaty face and neck. She was guzzling down her second glass of water, having just finished a training session with Mad-eye in one of the large empty rooms on the third story of Grimmauld Place. The auror had left several minutes ago with a stern warning to get plenty of sleep and to stop slacking on protein intake. Breathing heavily, she checked the wall clock above the sink, noticed it was just after 6:00 in the afternoon, and promptly fed Peaches her favorite meal of frozen baby mice.

The full moon was going to be up in less than an hour, and that meant Remus was going to have a pretty awful evening. The werewolf hadn't come down to dinner last night, and Mis suspected he was feeling like hell. She desperately wanted to help him in some way, but he'd explained that Snape had given him the wolfsbane potion and there was really nothing else he required. He'd practically popped a blood vessel when she'd offered to keep him company during his transformation. His reaction had been visceral to the point where Mis had almost felt a little stung. She didn't understand why he didn't want her to be with him, and she wondered if maybe there was some part of him that didn't trust her enough to allow himself to be seen by her in his werewolf form. She'd brushed that thought away though, there must've been some other reason that she wasn't privy to.

Although it made Mis feel a little guilty, she was glad it was finally the night of the full moon. Remus had been about as pleasant as a PMSing honey badger the last week or so, and Mis was eager for him to get back to his normal self. He had taken to biting off Mis and Sirius' heads for the silliest things, like forgetting to put a hand towel on the bathroom rack, or failing to return the orange juice to its rightful place in the fridge. Mis could admit both those habits were slightly annoying, but neither deserved twenty minute lectures a piece on courtesy and wastefulness. Remus always apologized promptly after any outbursts, claiming that stress, in addition to the upcoming full moon, was making him ultra-sensitive and this particular full moon was the worst he'd had in a while. Of course neither Mis nor Sirius held any of his grumpiness against him, they simply endured it in silence and prayed it wouldn't last much longer.

On top of having to deal with a crabby werewolf, the Malfoy's living under the same roof as she brought troubles of their own. They were good guests for the most part, surprising Mis with their contributions to divided chores like cooking and cleaning. Still, Mis and Sirius wouldn't willingly suggest living with them again. Mrs. Malfoy wasn't a problem in the slightest, the woman was a positive joy to be around. She had a gentle way about her, though she also had a sternness that demanded respect. Sirius, Remus, and Mis adored her almost instantly, and she, in turn, doted on the three of them like children. No, it was safe to say that the issue was not Mrs. Malfoy…it was her husband. Mis suspected she'd uncovered another universal mystery, how had Mrs. Malfoy put up with her husband for almost twenty years?

Mr. Malfoy was a royal pain in the ass, and a bigger prima-donna than any Mis had ever encountered (save the Dark Lord himself), which in the wizarding world was no mean feat, what with all the theatrics, flowing robes and general disregard for common sense. Mis was willing to look at the humor in the situation, though Sirius was not so blessed. The "bloody drag queen" (as Sirius had taken to calling Mr. Malfoy) changed his clothes four times a day, morning, noon, afternoon, and evening…He changed three times if he was slummin' it. Why he felt the need to have an average of four "costume" changes a day was lost on Mis, but then, she was more than content to wear the same pair of jeans two days in a row.

"Mis!" She suddenly heard Sirius call, clearly displeased. Considering it was about time for evening wear, Mis was sure she knew the cause of his strife. She smirked to herself as Sirius stormed into the kitchen. He strode right up to her and fixed her with an intense glare, she returned a look of polite interest. "I'm putting in a formal request, Mis. I want to kill that bloody drag queen!" Sirius said with conviction, pointing towards the ceiling where Mr. Malfoy was, no doubt, occupying the bathroom.

"Request denied. It was a real bitch to get him here in the first place, and for the last time, I'm not making another trip to the underworld just so you can get some of the annoyance out of your system." Mis replied evenly with a small smile. "Try some stress relief, take a bath or something." She suggested.

"I would love to take a bath, but RuPaul has been in the bathroom for two hours! Two hours, Mis! What could he possibly be doing?" Sirius asked her, as if she knew. Mis shrugged.

"He's got a lot of hair to maintain." Mis answered. Mis narrowed her eyes at Sirius. "Why don't you just use one of the other fifty bathrooms in the house?" Mis asked, amused but also exasperated by his lack of practicality.

"Why does he have to use mine?" Sirius retorted back. Mis snorted.

"It has the biggest mirror and the best lighting." Mis answered tonelessly. Sirius huffed in agitation.

"I know! That's _why_ it's _mine."_ He growled. Mis chuckled and patted him on the arm in an attempt to pacify him slightly. He looked down at her, a scowl still on his face.

"So, how was Mad-eye?" Sirius asked, still petulant but trying to let it go. Mis nodded.

"He was good, started teaching me how to show off, wanna see?" Mis asked, knowing that would cheer him up a little. Sirius's grey eyes brightened despite himself, but tried to nod casually. Mis giggle and picked up one of the curve bladed daggers from the holster she'd thrown on the table upon walking into the kitchen. With smooth, certain movements, she spun the dagger around her wrist and caught it by the tip of the blade. She winked at Sirius then flicked her wrist upwards and released the dagger to twist in the air before catching it by the handle backwards with the blade braced against her forearm. She spun it around her wrist again where it rested at standard position in her hand. She waggled her eyebrows, her dark hazel eyes sparkling with smugness. Sirius nodded thoughtfully.

"Hmmm… so what's the advantage of knowing that in a fight?" He asked half-teasing. Mis took the bait and shot him a glare.

"It's an intimidation tactic. Peggy says every advantage counts in a fight, Lassie, even the psychological ones." She informed him haughtily. "Besides…" she said with a smirk. "I get to pretend I'm a well trained assassin, a quirky one with a heart of gold, struggling with my tortured past and uncertain future. A reluctant mercenary, who trades blood for money, and although the years have numbed my troubled heart, I still long for redemption." Mis said wistfully, once again preforming the elaborate knife twist. Sirius nodded thoughtfully.

"That's very specific, Mis, but it's nice to have a dream." Sirius said with a chuckle. Mis winced as, upon trying the twist for the third time, the sharp curved blade slashed a shallow cut through her long sleeve.

"Ow." Sirius said sympathetically. "Are you ok?" He asked. Sirius reached for her arm and pulled up the sleeve where he was appalled to find several similar cuts already scabbed over. Mis winced again as he yanked at her other arm and inspected it as well. Both her forearms were sliced in various places, though thankfully they were shallow cuts. He looked at her with an expression of long suffering and concern. "Honestly…" He muttered, waving his wand and causing a first aid kit to float from a distant cabinet onto the table.

"Thanks." Mis said with a sheepish smile. "Like my dad says, 'If you aren't bleeding, sweating, or crying, you aren't working hard enough.'" She said with a fond chuckle.

"Bit of an intense man, your father?" Sirius asked with a smirk. Mis snorted.

"He taught me everything I know, I owe my fantastic sense of humor and my questionably unshakable confidence to him, not to mention my encyclopedic knowledge of music." She said brightly, before hissing in pain as Sirius disinfected her cuts.

"I imagine I'd like him." Sirius said with a smile, gently scrubbing her arm. Mis laughed.

"He'd probably be pretty wary of a thirty something man spending so much time with his underage daughter." Mis said teasingly. "You've been trying to put the moves on me since day one." She joked. Sirius rolled his eyes.

"The man who raised you would definitely know that _you're_ the devious one, not me." Sirius replied absently, too focused on her hurt arms to look up at her. Mis's dark eyes sparkled mischievously.

"You're more of a flirt than I am." She scoffed. Sirius paused in his application of bandaids to look affronted.

"I'm practically a monk I'm so virtuous. Do you know how long it's been since I had…" Mis held up her hand to stop Sirius.

"You have my sympathy, but please, I don't want details." She said quickly. Sirius raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"You were more than willing to hear when it was about me and Remus." Sirius said with a knowing smile. Mis smirked.

"That's because two guys are better than one." Mis said cheekily. Sirius laughed lightly.

"You're hopeless." Sirius said shaking his head. Mis laughed and shrugged easily.

After tending to Mis's cuts, Sirius put the first aid kit away and Mis cleaned up the table. There was a loud crashing sound and a wail of pain. Mis and Sirius stopped cold and looked up at the ceiling. Mis glanced at the window and saw it was dark outside…The full moon was up. There was another wail that morphed into a mournful howl halfway through.

"We should be up there with him." Mis said with her face set into a thin line of regret. Sirius shook his head.

"He'd have a conniption… especially if you went up, he doesn't want you to see him like that." Sirius said heavily. Mis furrowed her brows.

"I don't get it, why me especially? Does he not trust me…or something?" She asked, trying her best to hide her slightly hurt feelings. Sirius jerked his head to fix her with a look that indicated he feared for her mental acuity.

"Of course he trusts you!" Sirius insisted. "He's afraid that you'll be frightened and that you won't be able to look at him the same after you see him like that…idiot." Sirius said gracelessly. Mis paused.

"Huh?" She asked, disbelief narrowing her eyes. "That's ridiculous! I don't give a damn what he looks like, he's still my Moonshine." Mis said emphatically. Sirius nodded.

"I know, I know, but he doesn't. He thinks you'll be afraid of him, and nothing can convince him otherwise." Sirius said somewhat bitterly, obviously frustrated with his friends stubbornness. Mis's eyes turned hard, and Sirius realized he shouldn't have said that. "Now, Mis…I know what you're thinking, but you can't just barge in and disrespect his wishes." Sirius said sternly, already knowing in his heart that Mis wasn't listening to a single word he said. Mis straightened her back.

"I will not respect someone's wishes if the fundamental origin behind them is harmful. His wishes are misguided and incorrect, and I can prove it to him." Mis said with authority. She nodded once in determination, and made to stomp up the stairs before getting an idea. Ignoring Sirius entirely, she went to the fridge and pulled out some grapes, a jug of pumpkin juice, a pound of ground beef she had yet to make hamburgers from, and nestled the food in the crook of her arm. Next, she went to the pantry and found a package of chocolate-chip cookies but decided against them as she wasn't sure if it was a good idea for Remus to eat them while in canine form. There was, however, a tin of plain butter cookies that Mis thought would work just fine, so she placed it in the crook of her arm along with all the other foods. Feeling satisfied with her selection, she placed everything on the table, straightened her hair and got to work. She rolled the raw beef into into plain meatballs, leaving them uncooked and placed them on a plate before putting the grapes in a bowl and the pumpkin juice in a wide rimmed glass.

Several moments later, she picked everything up, trying to balance everything in her arms before Sirius came to the rescue by divesting her of the bowl of grapes and the tin of cookies. Sirius had apparently resigned himself to the fact that Mis would not be stopped. Without speaking, both she and Sirius climbed the stairs and down the first story hall to Remus's room, Sirius crunching on grapes the whole way. Mis reached Remus's door and heard a soft whimpering coming from the other side. Mis felt a painful squeeze in her heart.

"Moonshine." Mis called, shifting the glass of pumpkin juice in her hand to gently tap the door with her knuckles. "I'm coming in." She warned, going for the door knob. A massive scuffle and several crashing noises went through the door and Mis paused. She could hear Remus's heavy breathing, as if he had ran to the door and braced it with his body to deny Mis entrance. The girl slid her jaw. "Open up." Mis said without heat. There was a growl. "Don't you growl at me, Mister Barkie Pants!" Mis chastised sternly, Sirius snorted. There was no reply.

"You haven't eaten in 24 hours, Moony, you need food." Sirius called, his mouth full of grapes. Mis sighed.

"Come on, Moonshine, I've literally been to hell…ya think you're gonna scare me with a little extra fur and longer teeth?" Mis asked, keeping her tone gentle. "I like werewolves, I promise! I was totally Team Jacob back in the day." She said lightly. Sirius gave her a confused look. She waved it off, this wasn't the time to explain Twilight. She heard a slow movement from the other side of the door, as if Remus had dragged himself away slowly, and then a thump as he sat down far away from the door. Mis gave Sirius a smug look, and turned the knob to walk it.

The room was very dim, and in a state of complete disarray. The only lights were several candles and the crackling fire place. Mis could see long, deep scratch marks going down the walls, and suddenly realized why Remus hadn't wanted to paint his room. Papers littered the floor and the large plush chair and small table next to the fireplace were overturned. She looked to the corner where she could see a large figure huddled between the wall and the fourposter bed. Mis set the food down on Remus's normally neat desk, and motioned for Sirius to do the same.

"Hon…I know this sucks for you and everything, and I really couldn't be more sympathetic, but this ambiance is a little too Nosferatu to be helpful to your mental state." Mis said evenly as she began to pick up the room.

"Yes, Mis. Precisely what he wants to hear right now." Sirius said sarcastically, handing her a stack of papers he'd picked up. She took them and placed them neatly on Remus's desk. "The man is struggling between self-loathing and excruciating physical pain, but yes…it's the goddamn ambiance that he should be concerned with." He finished, unimpressed with Mis's assessment. She shot him a glare as they both went to hoist up the over turned furniture.

"My point was that the freakin' Transylvania vibe wasn't helping matters, Lassie. You try keeping a positive attitude in this environment." Mis retorted crisply.

"Technically, it can't be a Transylvania vibe, since Remus isn't a vampire… merely saying, you should rethink the comparison." Sirius said, in a don't-shoot-the-messenger tone. Mis rolled her eyes.

"Everyone's a fucking critic." She mumbled, switching on a small lamp on Remus's desk. The light from it wasn't harsh, but it brightened the room effectively with a soft gold glow. Mis heard a whimper from the corner, and both she and Sirius walked over to Remus. He was still mostly shadowed, and huddled from the light but Mis could see his back which was more wolfish looking that she had anticipated, in fact now that she inspected him she saw he was far more wolf than man, covered in thick, coarse looking dark grey fur. Carefully, she drew closer to him and crouched down.

"Moonshine…"Mis said softly, slowly holding out her hand to reach for his shoulder. There was a growl, and Mis held her hand still in mid-air for a moment, waiting for the rumbling noise to stop. Remus had taken the wolfsbane potion, and Mis knew he would never hurt her, as the potion allowed him to maintain his human consciousness as well as neutralized the werewolf venom in his bite. Still, Mis didn't want to startle him or spring anything on him too quickly. Gently, she placed her hand on his furry grey back, and found the fur to be soft and warm. Mis took is as a good sign that Remus didn't growl again.

"It's alright, come one and eat something, I brought hamburger." She said coaxingly.

"Look Moony, I told you she wouldn't mind… she's not scared at all." Sirius said, kneeling down beside Mis. She moved her hand up and down Remus's back soothingly.

"Eat Moonshine, please? For me?" Mis said gently, carful that she phrased it in a way that implied he would be doing _her_ a favor. Several long moments passed, and slowly Remus raised his wolf head and looked over his shoulder to face Mis. Mis removed her hands to cover the gasp that escaped her mouth.

"Oh my god…" Mis said, her voice muffled. "You are so goddamn _cute."_ Mis squealed, making both the wolf and Sirius jolt. Remus had the face of a wolf, complete with long snout, wet black nose, and one floppy ear. His eyes were large and the same shade as when he was in his human form, a warm amber color. Mis smiled at him happily. Mis realized she was probably a little biased, but she thought the werewolf in front of her was the most adorable one in the entire universe.

"Will you be pissed if I scratch behind your ears?" She asked unable to hide her enthusiasm. "Never mind, I'm doing it anyway." Mis said with finality, reaching up behind his one floppy wolf ear to rub the soft fur there. Remus unconsciously leaned into her hand, but made a small barking noise of annoyance. Mis and Sirius both laughed, and Remus pulled away from Mis hand and fixed her with a strange look. Mis furrowed her brows.

"Why are you looking at me like that? I told you I liked werewolves." She said slowly, as if would allow him to better understand her words. He made a noise that Mis wasn't able to decode. She looked at Sirius expectantly.

"I don't know either." He said with a shrug. Mis rolled her eyes.

"What's the good of being an animagus if you can't even translate canine?" Mis asked him. Sirius blinked slowly, and didn't dignify her apparently ignorant statement with a reply. Mis waved off his look and scooted closer to Remus.

"We can go downstair…" She began, but Remus jerked away from her faster than she could've imagined. "Ok, ok…You don't have to come downstairs." Mis said, hastily backtracking and holding her hands up in surrender. "I brought food up." She pacified. "Sirius…" She ordered, waving in the general vicinity of the food on the desk. Remus turned back around and once again fixed Mis with a very intense stare that tore at Mis's heart, though she didn't know precisely why. Mis laughed lightly, not willing to allow the situation to get heavy, that's not what Remus needed right then. He needed normalcy and lightness, and Mis was happy to provide that.

"Dude, it's not the werewolf form that's freakin' me out, it's the Kubrick Stare you've got on me." She joked. Mis felt her leg cramp up, and she gave a sharp utterance of pain. "Ok, Moonshine, we're gonna have to move…my leg isn't handling this position well." She said, grunting as she stood up and shook her leg to get the feeling back into it. She held out her hand to Remus, and smiled encouragingly as he moved to get up. He stood on two long wolf legs, but most of his body was hunched over. She nodded and reached out her hand further, taking his strange hand in her own. It felt hot and rough from his grey fur, and he had long, glossy black nails that Mis knew could shred through flesh like wet tissue, but she was unfazed by it. It was still Remus, and although his hands were a bit creepy, his wolf face was still adorable to her. She smiled and led him over to the fire where Sirius had set up the various foods and was sitting casually on the floor with his back resting against chair.

Remus sat down with his knees almost even with his shoulders and his hands flat on the floor in front of him. Mis sat cross legged in front of the werewolf and picked up the plate of raw meatballs. She paused for a minute wondering if he'd prefer to feed himself, but shrugged the thought away, took one in the palm of her and held it near Remus's wolf snout.

"Look, raw cow flesh, your favorite." Mis said, waving it under his nose enticingly. Sirius snorted, and Mis smiled. Gingerly, Remus bent his wolf head down and very delicately took the meat in his mouth and threw his head back to swallowed it almost without chewing. Mis smiled triumphantly.

"I swear to god, everyday I'm here I get more badass! How many people get to say they've fed a werewolf _by hand._ " She said, not bothering to hide her immense enthusiasm. Sirius snorted again.

"So this is nothing more than vanity project for you, eh? Just trying to level up your street cred?" Sirius teased. Mis laughed.

"Nah, but having my street cred increased _is_ a happy outgrowth." She said smirking. She held up another meatball for Remus, and he took it, this time less carful of slobbering on her hand.

"Ugh." Mis groaned, looking around herself to find something to clean her slimy hand. Without really thinking, she reached over and wiped the drool off on Sirius's shirt. He slowly looked down to the slightly damp area of his shirt, then back up at Mis in disbelief.

"Really?" He asked in disgust. Mis couldn't help but laugh, and a moment later Remus made a soft barking noise that could only be interpreted as a chuckle. Mis beamed at the werewolf.

"See, Moonshine? I'll love you no matter what you look like, and Sirius does too! So next time, just shut up and let us love you." She said, tapping his cold black nose, and laughing. The wolf looked down as if bashful, and Mis continued to smile at him softly.

After Mis was satisfied with the amount of food Remus had eaten, she nestled herself comfortably at Sirius's side, and patted her lap. Remus rested his large wolf head there contentedly, and Mis stroked the soft fur behind his ears until his breathing became slow and deep. A few minutes later, Sirius rested his head on Mis shoulder and started snoring softly. Mis could feel her limbs buzzing from lack of circulation, but she would rather they fell off than move and risk disturbing her boys. She smiled to herself and thought that perfection, was pretty easy to attain, because she had it, and it would be forever preserved in her memory. The warm crackle of the fire, her pained appendages, and her newly acquired status of living pillow for a werewolf and an immature man-child. These kinds of moments were her favorite, the kind that lay, unassuming, between life's bustle and motion. Mis hoped, with all the will she had, that her loved ones could have a thousand more moments just like this one… so many they lost count.

Mis woke up the next morning tucked into her bed and figured Remus or Sirius must've carried her there, as she didn't remember walking herself. She yawned and stretched contentedly, before getting up and padding sleepily to the downstairs bathroom to shower. She washed her hair and body, singing loudly the entire time then she got out, wrapped a fluffy grey towel around her body and, picking up her worn clothes in her arms, she opened the door to head back to her room. She hadn't taken three steps outside the steamy bathroom before hearing an appalled gasp.

"Miss Holtzer!" Mr. Malfoy exclaimed, making her jump about ten feet in the air and nearly drop the towel that was clutched around her body. She whipped around wildly for the cause of his alarm preparing to fight anything.

"What?!" Mis exclaimed, turning to fix Mr. Malfoy with an urgent stare. The man in question was dressed in what Mis now recognized as morning attire. A crisp white shirt, gold waistcoat, and dark pants, with his long silver hair tied away from his face with a leather band. Mr. Malfoy averted his eyes quickly, and Mis wondered what in hell's name was wrong. He waved his hand and a long pale robe materialized in it. Still not looking at her, he thrust the garment in her direction.

"Miss Holtzer, it simply isn't appropriate for a single lady to walk around a household defrocked when there are three grown men, two of which are unmarried, who might witness it." Mr. Malfoy said in muted outrage. Mis blinked.

"Did you just say _defrocked_?" Mis asked in disbelief, her heart still racing at having been frightened half to death.

"Please, Miss Holtzer, it really isn't proper." Mr. Malfoy said emploringly. Mis hated the word proper, it reminded her of the stuffy old women that exist inside every Jane Austen miniseries. Furthermore, she new if she opted to walk downstairs and eat breakfast in her underwear every morning neither Sirius nor Remus would give a single damn. She thought about explaining this truth to Mr. Malfoy, but the situation was too stupid for Mis to allow it to take up anymore of her time. She sighed and took the robe from Mr. Malfoy, shrugged it on and allowed the damp towel to fall to the ground as she secured the silk belt around her waist.

"I'm still trying to remember the last time I heard the word defrocked, to be honest. It's not a word you really hear in the twenty-first…or twentieth century or whenever the hell I am." Mis mumbled, more to herself than Mr. Malfoy.

"You should count yourself fortunate to have myself and Narcissa willing to safeguard your virtue, little darling." Mr. Malfoy replied sternly, finally able to look at her. Mis felt her left eye twitch, and struggled to remain calm as two voices dueled in her head: One stating that she shouldn't get angry, that Mr. Malfoy comes from a different culture and that shouldn't be held against him, while the other voice was searching through her vocabulary in order to construct a phrase that would colorfully illustrate precisely where Mr. Malfoy could shove his antiquated notions of virtue.

"Pardon my indiscretion, I'll be going now…off to embroider or some other bullshit." She said under her breath as she walked away from Mr. Malfoy.

"I heard that." He informed her, unamused.

"I'll commission a plaque." She replied sarcastically as she climbed the stairs. She stomped petulantly to her room mumbling to herself all the way, transfixed by her own annoyance so much that she bumped head first into Sirius.

"Steady, love." Sirius said, and Mis noticed his hair was dripping with a towel around his hips and another drying his hair. Mis narrowed her eyes at him as if he were her problem.

"Stupid double standards… do I look like a goddamn un-plucked rose? I could shred his face off if I wanted to…defrocked he said…a fucking male Caroline Bingley asshat is what he is!" Mis said heatedly. "Talking about my virtue, like he knows anything…so what if I wear a towel?!" She demanded of Sirius fiercely. Sirius looked at her with wide, confused, and slightly frightened eyes and seemed to look around the room for cover should Mis turn violent.

"Yeah… you're so…right." Sirius said hesitantly, clearly fearful of making a verbal mistake. Mis snorted humorlessly and nodded, before looking at Sirius properly. Sirius took an unconscious step backwards and held up his hands in mock surrender. He looked a little ridiculous and Mis found herself smiling despite herself.

"Am I really that scary?" She asked him in amusement.

"I'd say yes, but I'm told you should never tell a shark when you're bleeding." Sirius answered, still wary. Mis chuckled and moved around Sirius to get to her room.

"I've reconsidered your proposal of killing Mr. Malfoy, you have my blessing." She said over her shoulder, a distinct edge to her voice.

The days passed easily, and Mis was getting used to having both Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy around, though Sirius was getting more bitter by the day. It had almost come to hexes a couple nights ago when Mr. Malfoy had done a bit of "spring cleaning" on the cabinet in Sirius's bathroom, throwing out several apparently expensive half-full jars of moisturizer. Mis had been of little use during the event as she'd been far too busy laughing her ass off at the absurdity of the situation, while Mrs. Malfoy apologized on behalf of her husband. Mis had started to grow more fond of Mr. Malfoy, pain in the ass though he was, and found herself able to talk to him as effortlessly as she talked to his wife. The only thing that made Mis slightly uncomfortable was Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy's subtle searching questions like: had she ever had a long term boyfriend? how many children did she want? or would she prefer a career as opposed to children? did she know anything about household maintenance? and a myriad of other queries that Mis stutteringly answered. The most embarrassing question of all, however, was what Mrs. Malfoy had asked her as they both tidied up the kitchen after dinner one night.

"Mis, may I ask you a question?" the elder woman had asked while Mis did the dishes and Mrs. Malfoy dried them by hand. Mis had been humming softly to herself, lost in her own little world when Mrs. Malfoy's voice had jogged her to attention.

"Go for it." Mis said casually, not aware that Mrs. Malfoy's stormy eyes were sharply watching the girl's face calculatingly.

"What are your feelings towards Draco?" Mrs. Malfoy asked with a subtle grace that defied her swirling eyes. If Mis had been eating, she would've choked and died then and there, as it was however, Mis stopped her hands in mid-air clutching a plate and rag. Her entire body went still as if an arctic wind had just blown through her, freezing her insides into an iceberg of disbelief and horror. Mis didn't know what to say…she had no trouble admitting that she was attracted to Draco, but if she was being honest, she hardly knew him, and therefore, she didn't have enough information to give a decisive answer. She did care about him though, that was apparent to Mis, but in her mind as yet, it wasn't any special care. She wanted him to be safe and happy, but she wanted that for everyone. Mis cleared her throat and shook herself back into motion, continuing to scrub the already spotless plate in her hand.

"My feelings? Well, I want the best for him, and I want him to live in a good world were he doesn't have to constantly watch his back…I just want him to be happy. I think he has a great capacity to do good if he sets his heart on it, and I want to do my part to show him that." Mis said thoughtfully, getting lost in her own words as she handed over the clean plate for Mrs. Malfoy to dry. The woman smiled secretly to herself, but Mis didn't see it. "I want that for everybody." Mis quickly clarified, shaking her bowed head as she washed the dishes with her cheeks turning pink.

"I see." Mrs. Malfoy said nodding, and this time Mis caught the smiled on the woman's face. Mis was having an internal panic as she continued to wash dishes. She didn't know whether to shake Mrs. Malfoy and declare she was way too young to be thinking about any kind of a serious relationship, or keep her mouth shut and let the situation dissipate on its own. Mis did like Draco, and she did want to get to know him better and, she supposed, it was better to have Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy's support than not have it. When it came right down to brass tacks though, Mis had a job to do and that took precedence over a crush. She wasn't in the wizarding world to run after a guy, her mission was so much bigger than that. Furthermore, she reasoned, being in a relationship with Draco would only cause him hurt if he came to care for her with any level of intensity. The road ahead of her wasn't an easy one, especially if she managed to take the part of Voldemort's soul out of Harry. She wasn't laboring under the delusion that she would remain unchanged should she take the soul into herself. She imagined taking the soul would mean she would have access into Voldemort's mind, and she knew that would be a struggle not only for herself, but for all the people who cared about her. Her soul would be bound to his, and there was an inherent intimacy with that, and she didn't want anyone else to be subjected to it.

"Now, Snape'll try and tell ya that the top three bands of the 80's are INXS, Depeche Mode, and New Order, and while they _are_ great, in my ever so humble opinion, INXS and Depeche Mode were too broody." Mis explained to Mr. Malfoy. The man was listening to her as if she was speaking gospel and Mis was soaking in the attention shamelessly.

"Mis…" Sirius said evenly. Mis turned to look at Sirius with a raised eyebrow. "You love The Smiths, how can you even _begin_ to judge other music for being "broody?"" He asked her in disbelief. Mis turned back to Mr. Malfoy.

"See, what I'm saying? most of these peasants don't understand that The Smiths are _angsty_ not broody…There's a fucking difference, Sirius." Mis said without heat. "Now, INXS can be summed up thusly, 'horny guy seeks girl to whisper to.' Though, to be fair, Micheal Hutchence was fine as hell. Depeche Mode, again they're great, but they think they're smarter than they are, and New Order…Christ, New Order is just Joy Devision post-brilliance of Ian Curtis." Mis said with regret.

"Point of order, Mis. Ian Curtis died." Sirius said his voice appalled.

"Look, Sirius. It's not my fault that he was a tortured genius who succumbed to his demons and the other guys in the band weren't on his level, ok? I'm not saying New Order is bad, I'm saying that after Ian Curtis died they were a shadow of their former selves." Mis said in a calm voice one uses to reason with an overexcited toddler.

"I never knew muggle music could have such a profound impact." Mr. Malfoy said thoughtfully, nodding along as he listened to both Sirius and Mis. The girl smiled widely at him.

"I'm glad you're seeing the light, Mr. Malfoy." She said with a chuckle. "Now, I want you to listen to…"

Mis never got to finish her sentence as, a moment later, Snape and Dumbledore walked in tailed by the golden trio, the Weasleys and…Draco.

"Dear god, Holtzer…What are you doing?" Snape asked the moment he saw Mis next to Mr. Malfoy sharing her earbuds. Mis gave him a smile.

"Just giving a little musical history lesson, we're just starting on the 80's." Mis said with an innocent shrug. Snape grimaced.

"Lucius, whatever she's said about the 80's, she's wrong…She cannot accept the fact that Depeche Mode went over her small minded head, nor does she know the difference between sultry and horny as proven by her insistence that INXS is in the latter group." Snape said firmly, walking around the table to glare at Mis. He ignored everyone's bewilderment at his conviction about music.

"The hell did I say?" Mis asked Mr. Malfoy casually. "You forgot Joy Division." Mis reminded Snape blandly.

"Joy Division? do you perchance mean those ambient noised freaks that couldn't create a genuine melody if their bloody lives depended on it?" Snape said with false curiosity.

"No, I'm referring to the Ian Curtis headed band that actually attempted to create something new artistically, instead of just pulling some top 40 europop bullshit that its bastard child New Order was so fond of." Mis said feistily, jumping out of her seat, propelled by her by her fierce opinions. Snape and Mis stared each other down, both seething with their conflicting ideas.

"You both realize, no one has any idea what you're talking about, yes?" Sirius asked, amused at Snape and Mis despite himself. Both Mis and Snape turned in synchronicity to glare at Sirius, suddenly united in their dislike of the marauder.

"The best combatant to illiteracy is teaching through example, Sirius." Mis said calmly.

"Try not to use big words when speaking to Black…and if you must, Holtzer, at least speak slower." Snape said in that condescending, halting voice of his.

"No need to be an ass." Mis said to him in exasperated tone.

"I'm aware there's no technical need." Snape said in a bored voice. Mis waved her hand in dismissal of his bad attitude, and instead went to greet Dumbledore, the Weasleys, Harry, Tonks, Hermione and Draco, hugging each of them without bias. She'd had a moment of panic after hugging everyone and turning to see Draco was last, wondering if it would be weird for her to hug him, but shoved the thought away. She laughed a bit awkwardly and gave him a quick side hug, putting her arm around his waist while he hesitantly brought his around her shoulders. She took a breath in and caught his scent that was fresh and bright like citrus.

"You smell really good." Mis said without thinking. He raised an amused eyebrow and Mis pulled away from him quickly. The moment the words left her lips, she felt her insides cringe in embarrassment. "I mean…like…I can tell you took a shower." She said trying to trivialize her observation. "Not that you don't normally, or that I could tell if you didn't, I don't always smell you or anything." Mis said hastily backtracking. She felt her cheeks color, she wasn't used to being self-conscious around anyone, but for some reason when Draco was looking at her with his silver hair falling into his tropical blue eyes, she suddenly found herself twittering like a flustered hummingbird.

"Thank you, that's one of the funnier compliments I've ever been given, and…" He said pausing to lean down to her ear. "You're cute when you babble." He said in a playful whisper. Mis felt her entire body wind like a steel coil, and felt her cheeks burn in response to his voice. Mis liked to think of herself as intuitive when it came to people's actions, she generally had a good idea of how people would react in a given situation, but Draco had the knack of catching her off guard. His confidence would manifest itself at times when Mis wasn't expecting it, though presently she really wasn't complaining.

"Mis, come here a minute." She heard Sirius call from across the room were he stood talking to Remus and Tonks. Mis cleared her throat and pointed over to them wordlessly before giving Draco two thumbs up. She turned away and decided that apparently she would have to cut off her own thumbs, because they had just betrayed her to complete stupidity. Not looking back she walked over to Remus, Sirius and Tonks who each had drinks in their hands.

"What did the ferret say to you? I didn't like the look on his face, it was perverse." Sirius said suspiciously, he narrowed his eyes at the young man across the room, before looking down at her calculatingly. "Are you blushing?" Sirius asked in disbelief. Remus stifled a chuckle on the back of his hand. Mis's hand shot up to cover her hot face.

"I am not!" Mis said in a murderous whisper.

"Let her be, Padfoot." Remus said shaking his head in amused exasperation.

"If he said something obscene, I'd be more than happy to challenge him to an honor duel." Sirius said without a trace of insincerity. Mis gave him a level look.

"Babe… I appreciate the offer to dual for my honor, like honestly, I do…but I'm pretty sure I can defend it myself." Mis said evenly with a wry smile.

"That's not the point, while you live here, you're under my protection and I won't have anyone upset you." Sirius said emphatically. Mis's smile softened, and she moved to nestle in his side, which seemed to pacify him a bit as he hooked his arm around her neck.

"That's a little sexist, but also very sweet. Honestly, he didn't say anything even remotely offensive, he just said "You look cute when you babble."" Mis said, trying to sound casual. She felt Sirius tense beside her and snap his head to glare at the young man, who was across the room talking to his parents. Mis wouldn't have been surprised if a shiver when up Draco's spine from the sheer force of animosity in Sirius's grey eyes.

"I don't like him." Sirius said with finality. Remus snorted. Mis rolled her eyes.

"Aww, come on, Sirius…He seems like a decent kid, bit thick maybe, but I'm sure he's not all bad. I think he just needs a chance to prove himself." Tonks said fairly, and offering Mis and encouraging smile.

"Thanks Tonks, and have I mentioned that I love your hair that shade, it really fits your coloring." Mis said sweetly, staring enviously at the woman's electric blue hair. Tonk's beamed at Mis.

"Thanks, I reckoned the same thing, maybe I'll keep it a while." She said, encouraged by Mis's compliment. Mis noticed the subtle way Remus seemed to lean closer to Tonks, as if he were pulled towards her like cold hands towards a fire. Mis liked seeing that very much, and she saw that Tonks was aware of it as well, because Mis could not help but notice the young woman glowed like sunlight was under her healthy tanned skin. Mis shared a look with Sirius, who knew precisely what Mis was thinking about. Sirius cleared his throat.

"So Tonks, you were saying something about the Lestrange's vault earlier…"Sirius said probingly. Mis kept her face straight though she wondered how Sirius had changed mental gears so quickly.

"Yep, have to see it tomorrow morning, considering what Mis said about a horcrux possibly being there, everyone's so busy I'm the one who's going to check it out." Tonks said with an enthusiastic nod, apparently pleased at having such an important job.

"…and no one's going with you?" Sirius asked with furrowed brows. Mis had to desperately fight the urge to smirk. Sirius was gaining a bit of subtlety and Mis couldn't help but be proud of him.

"Well, I'm fine by myself, I'm an auror after all." She said with a small shrug. Mis made a soft fake gasp as if an idea had just occurred to her.

"Remus why don't you tag along? You're not doing anything, right?" Mis said with casual grace. Remus choked on his drink and looked between Mis and Sirius, imagining red horns poking out of their skulls. A wide smile lit up Tonks's face and she turned to Remus excitedly.

"Oh, I would appreciate that so much Remus!" She said, clearly thrilled. Remus looked unsure, and Tonks's face fell minutely. "…Of course I understand if you don't want…" Tonk's said, backtracking.

"No! I would love to come, to be there for you…with you, to be there with you." Remus said, stuttering adorably. Mis didn't giggle, but it took a great deal of effort to suppress.

"Remus'll take very good care of you I'm sure, not that you need it, but it _is_ nice to have someone watching your back." Mis said sweetly to Tonks, with a wink that went unnoticed by Remus.

Several minutes later, Tonks left Mis alone with Remus and Sirius to speak with Mad-eye about Remus tagging along with her to Gringott's. The minute she was out of their general vicinity Mis turned to Sirius.

"If I had a hat I would tip it." Mis said smirking up at Sirius. He shrugged with false humility.

"Pretty good, right?" He asked, making Mis chuckle and nod. Remus ignored their self congratulations and opted to take another sip of his drink. Mis didn't have time to reply to Sirius before both Ginny and Hermione stormed over to the three of them.

"Was that what I bloody thought it was?" Ginny demanded of Mis and Sirius, recognizing the unspoken truth that Remus had little to no say in the matter.

"Please say it was." Hermione said hopefully, her bushy hair almost bouncing with excitement.

"Remus has a date!" Mis practically sang. The werewolf groaned.

"I'm going with her to help find a horcrux, that's hardly a romantic rendezvous." Remus said evenly, trying to temper everyone's enthusiasm. The three girls and Sirius ignored him entirely, and instead giggled and tittered like the nosy biddies they were.

"I can see it now…" Ginny said dramatically. "Remus…it's so dark, c-could you come a little closer?" Ginny said in a hesitant but sultry impersonation of Tonks's voice, clutching her arms to her chest and sidling up next to Mis

"Don't worry, Tonks…" Mis said making her voice deep as she could, and clutching Ginny around the shoulders. "I've got a big wand, and I can whip it out any time you need." Mis said with ridiculous intensity. Sirius and Hermione roared with laughter, while Remus put his head in his hands trying and failing to block out the idiots around him.

"Why is everyone so concerned about my love life?" Remus asked more to himself then anyone else.

"It's not your love life, per say…" Mis hedged with a smirk.

"It's your lack of one." Sirius finished, causing everyone to nod soberly. Remus looked at the three girls and Sirius, and it seemed he didn't know whether to murder them at that moment, damned be the witnesses, or start laughing along. Remus opted for a final look of deep dislike before walking away with his dignity marginally intact, Sirius following him away from the three girls.

"Speaking of loooove…"Ginny said mockingly, now turning her eyes calculatingly to Mis. "What was that thing with Draco? Your face looked like a summer cherry." Ginny said, fixing Mis with her steady brown eyes.

"La siento, no habla inglés." Mis said quickly, not looking Ginny in the eye. Hermione chuckled. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"If you don't tell me I'll go ask him right now." The red haired girl threatened, crossing her arms and jutting out her hip. Mis turned her head sharply to look at her. Mis narrowed her eyes.

"Why weren't you placed in Slytherin?" Mis asked in annoyance. Ginny smirked.

"Because I have a non-ambiguous sense of morality." Ginny quipped back. Mis was about to refute that but she didn't get a chance to.

"I don't understand how you tolerate that prat in any capacity." Hermione piped in with a mock shiver as she glanced at Draco disdainfully. Mis laughed ironically, and Ginny snorted.

"Allow me to explain…" Ginny began like a teacher in front of a classroom. "Bad boy meets tortured soul, blue eyes you could swim in, and a body that's fit without being bulky." Ginny listed knowingly. "In other words, 'Mione…He's gorgeous to the point were he appears edible, and Mis is a woman starved." Ginny finished. Mis bit the inside of her cheek, then shrugged and nodded in acquiescence. Hermione and Ginny laughed.

"We're changing the subject…"Mis said firmly. "How's Snape doing?" Mis asked them, genuinely curious and wanting to know how he was adjusting to non-spy life. Ginny and Hermione shared a look. Mis furrowed her brows. "What?" She asked, suddenly feeling a little worried.

"Well…" Ginny said hesitantly. Mis's eyes widened.

"What's the matter?" Mis demanded.

"Nothing really, he's just been…sort of nice lately." Hermione said, as if she didn't understand or believe the words she was speaking. Mis clutched her just and breathed out in relief. "He hasn't called me an insufferable know-it-all in nearly a fortnight." Hermione said.

"He was always nice to you, but now…it seems to be spreading, and it has every student in Hogwarts on edge." Hermione finished. Mis laughed.

"Nice to me? His pet name for me is idiot. He cares about me, but he could not be nice if his life depended on it." Mis said with a snort. Ginny and Hermione shared another curious look.

"Don't be offended by this…" Ginny hedged. "But are the rumors about you being in love with each other true?" The red haired girl asked, suddenly serious. Mis was promptly taken aback, and stared at the girls blankly for a solid ten seconds before bursting out in roaring laughter.

"I can't. I…can't…fucking…breathe." She wheezed, clutching her stomach as it spasmed painfully. "Words fail me, you guys." Mis said calming down, and wiping a tear away from the corner of her eye. "No, I'm not in love with him and he's not in love with me like that." Mis said, sobered by the looks on both Ginny and Hermione's faces.

"It's east to mistake, but I didn't think it was true. There's just something different between the two of you, it doesn't quite make sense." Hermione said thoughtfully. Mis smiled softly and nodded.

"You're probably right, I don't get it either, he's like my…" Mis stopped. Father? Brother? Uncle? Friend? No label seemed to fit. Mis chuckled and shook her head. "He's just mine, and I'm his. We don't belong _with_ each other so much as we belong _to_ each other." Mis said, her voice full of tenderness. The two girl's nodded along with Mis.

"You're the only person I've ever seem him genuinely care about." Hermione said, and Ginny nodded her head in agreement. Mis gave them both a somewhat sad smile, and shook her head.

"He actually care's about everyone very much, but he doesn't show it the way most people do. He shows he cares with his actions, not his words, as a matter of fact, he uses his words to hide his actions. He never lets anyone see the best parts of him…I've never understood that." Mis said, her dark hazel eyes distant and a little sad. She shook herself and smiled at Hermione. "He likes you, you know?" Mis said with a knowing smirk. Hermione looked at Mis as if she had just, very calmly said she was on fire.

"That's impossible." Hermione said, shaking her head with certainty.

"It's true." Mis insisted. Her dark eyes brightened with an idea. "I can prove it, try being nice to him, or if you're feeling really brave tease him." Mis said with a smirk. Hermione looked at her in horror.

"He'll take points from Gryffindor then give me detention for a week." Hermione said, shaking her head wildly. Mis laughed again.

"Probably, but if you stick with it, you'll make a powerful friend. Once in Snape's good graces, forever in his good graces, trust me on that." Mis said knowingly.

"But he's scary." Ginny said, taking an unconscious step back.

"Nah, he just pretends like he is." Mis said fondly, shaking her head. Mis couldn't help it, she wanted everyone to know that Snape was actually a good man. Mis knew he was an ass, and she knew he was bitter most of the time, but he was also funny in his dry way, and his heart ran deep. He kept all his pain there where no one could see, and in doing that he pushed others away. Mis wanted everyone to know that if they just persevered long enough, they would be rewarded with the real Severus Snape… and the real Snape was steadfast, loyal, and had a singular sort of kindness that showed itself in small ways. He always treated Mis with gentleness when she needed it, but he'd never lie to make her feel better; Mis loved that about him, and she was sure everyone else would if they only learned to see him as she did.

"Ok…Let's do this thing." Mis said with a clap of her hands. She shooed Sirius out of the way and took his seat next to Harry. Everyone watched the two young people with bated breath, and Mis could practically feel their anxiety, but she kept her face straight and calm. "I have no idea what the hell I'm doing…" Mis mumbled to herself, too low for anyone to hear. "Snape?…" She said looking up at him expectantly.

"Hmmm?" He answer, clearly still not pleased with the whole situation.

"What do I do?" She asked him. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Do I look like an expert on this?" He said, baffled by her stupidity. "Just put your hand on his forehead…I don't bloody know." Snape mumbled.

"Fine fine. Christ, no need to get your panties in a twist." Mis muttered back. She took a steadying breath, and reached out her hand. Harry caught her wrist and held it still, his green eyes imploring and troubled.

"You don't have to do this, Mis." Harry said emphatically. "No one should have to suffer through this. I can't let you do it." He said, pleading with her to see reason. Mis smiled at him softly, and removed his hand from her wrist gently, but didn't let go of it and instead squeezed it encouragingly.

"You've run the race as long as you can, Harry, let me finish it for you. You're the boy who lived, and I want to keep it that way. Think of Sirius and Remus, Ron and Hermione, they love you so much, can you imagine what it must be like for them to see you go through such pain?" She said gently, staring into his brilliant green eye unwaveringly.

"They love you too, they don't want to see you in pain either!" Harry argued heatedly. Everyone at the table was watching Mis and Harry closely, but they seemed to have forgotten anyone else was there. Mis felt her heart warm and began to burn with such fierce affection for the young man in front if her that it was almost surprising.

"I know that, Harry, but when we line up both our lives side by side, I see a huge inequality. My life has been filled with so many good things, I can afford to suffer a little if it means I can give some of that to you." Mis said quietly.

"Why?" Harry asked her shaking his head, not understanding. Mis eye's brightened and went a little misty.

"Because when I was a little girl, I read a book. It taught me about friendship, and goodness, and love and all I ever wanted was for the people inside it to be happy. So whatever suffering might await me, I'll take it with a goddamn smile on my face, because I was given the chance to give back to something that brought me more happiness than I could ever begin to express." Mis said, her voice a little shaky from emotion. Harry stared at Mis for the longest time, and Mis could see him struggling with himself, his sense of responsibility and the untarnished sliver of hope that she could take this burden from him, that he could be free. Harry nodded once after a long pause and Mis smiled at him. She took a deep breath in and let go of his hand and placed her own on his forehead, covering the lightening scar.

Mis waited a few moment, but nothing happened, she didn't feel anything like when she was taking a curse.

"Do you feel anything?" Sirius asked. Mis shushed him and narrowed her eyes in concentration, as she began to feel it. It was like a fluttering sensation beneath her hand, very faint but definitely there.

"Harry, do you feel that?" She asked him, focusing entirely on the movement under her hand. Harry nodded.

"It feels like fabric…" He said slowly. "If that makes any sense."

Mis doubted it did to anyone other than her, but as the fluttering continued it began to make perfect sense. It wasn't drawing into her though, but she felt that if it would only stop moving for a moment, she would be able to grasp it. Mis closed her eyes and concentrated harder, trying to visualize what she was feeling, and figuring that would help in some way. The soft fabric brushed against her fingertips, and she imagined it like a white sheet, bright and warm with a darker strip sewn on to the end. Her fingers followed the edge and finally touched the dark fabric. A violent jolt went through Harry, and the shock of it flowed into Mis as well. It felt like a massive rush of electric wind howling through her bones. She closed her hand around the edge of the dark fabric, and pulled. Harry gave a sharp utterance of pain.

"What was that?" He asked thickly.

"I think I've got it." She said, keeping her eyes tightly shut. She yanked on it harder and felt a bit of the seam rip, making Harry yelp in pain again.

"Stop!" He begged. "It hurts." Mis didn't like anyone to be in pain, but she ignored him, and pulled again, trying to rip it loose. Harry yelled and tried to wriggle away from her hand, but Snape had quickly braced Harry's head still.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Mis said, but didn't let go of the dark fabric. She didn't want to hurt Harry, but she didn't know any other way. She yanked again, and a bit more of the seam gave. Harry screamed in agony, and pleaded with her to stop. Suddenly, Mis got an idea. Maybe instead of yanking and pulling, she should try and coax it away from Harry. The piece of dark cloth was so cold, like it had been plunged in water and then frozen. Cold things are always attracted to heat. Mis began scroll through her memories and of all the things that she loved. The smell of orange blossoms that filled her nose in spring when she used to play outside with her brother and sister. Dinnertime back home, when everyone talked about their day, each complaining about the inane daily struggles they had to endure, and the moans of sympathy and words of comfort that followed. Snape and his rare smile, and her the red chair in his office where she would sit with him in silence. Laughing with Sirius and Remus until her stomach begged to rest. Each memory nestled into her heart like sunlight, gentle and life giving…and then she felt the soul move, different this time, more sentient. It pressed itself against her hand, seeking the warmth of her memories, curious but hesitant.

Harry stopped struggling as Mis permitted the fluttering soul to examine her hand, a moment later she felt it latch onto her. The strange, undulating fabric wrapped around Mis's hand, and Mis wondered if this was in fact Voldemort's soul, it felt young somehow, childish in it's caution. Mis know sooner had the thought when the feel changed and Mis pulled her hand away from Harry's forehead in shock. The soul traveled up her arm and fled to the center of her chest, right in her heart where it began constricting it greedily seeking the heat it lacked. Her veins felt like arctic water had replaced her blood. She fought to cry out, but the only thing that came from her mouth was a strangled gasp.

"Holtzer?!" Snape demanded, roughly pushing Harry aside and kneeling down next to Mis. Her eyes watered in pain as she felt her lungs frost over. Her eyes remained wide open, but she saw nothing that was in front of her.

* * *

 **Bet you didn't know Satan had a Fanfiction account...I'm so mean leaving a cliffhanger like that, jeez, sometimes I surprise myself with my own evil.**

 **Also, I just started a tumblr thingy (though I really suck at blogging), and I have that spotify playlist of all the musical references I've made there (most of 'em), so check it out if you'd like. I'm also thinking about starting to take requests for fanfics people would like to see.**

 **Aaaand final announcement: I'm working on three, count 'em, three new fanfics, one of which will be a romance, and the other two more humor and adventure based, with two new OC's. So be sure to keep a lookout, :***

 **on romance**


	19. Memories

**Hey everyone, this chapter has given me a lot of grief, but overall I'm happy with it. It was a really emotional chapter for me, and some parts were hard to write, so trigger warning for this one just to be safe. That said, I really hope everyone enjoys it, and doesn't forget to leave me a review!**

 **HypocriticalCommie: Thanks for reviewing, I love reading them, they make me laugh and consider your mental stability, but in the best possible way, lol.**

 **OliverNox: has stopped working.**

 **JJ: Oh my sweet summer child, you're amazing and your reviews are wonderful. The part where Remus and Sirius fall asleep on Mis was totally my favorite thing to write in that chapter, I'm such a sap, lol. Thanks for mentioning the tension buildup btw, it's something I worry about and I'm glad to hear that y'all are getting it. You keep being awesome, and I genuinely hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Don't own Harry Potter and, as always, try to overlook my lack of proofreading skills.**

Chapter 19: Memories

It had been 8 days, and Holtzer hadn't spoken a single word. She wouldn't eat, she hardly slept, and the only reason she had withered in dehydration was because Snape forced glasses of water and pumpkin juice down her resistant throat ever couple hours. After she'd taken Voldemort's soul from Harry into herself, she went stiff and her eyes had gone blank for several excruciating minutes before it became clear that she was seeing things that weren't there. She wept and begged with nonexistent people, and that was what scared everyone the most. Black shook her, pleading with her to hear him, but her eyes never flickered with recognition nor did she seem to know where she was.

A cold fear had rooted in Snape's lungs, constricting them and making it difficult to breath as he watched the small, young girl, tears streaming down her face as she fell forward off her seat and curled into a ball on the floor, covering her head with her arms. Black had once again tried to hold her, but this time her body attacked of its own volition and she reared back before landing a crunching blow to Sirius's jaw. Black fell away from her, his hand covering his almost dislocated and certainly pained jaw, and stared at Holtzer with a desperate fear twirling in his eyes. No one dared move towards her, fearing that she would lash out again. Potter was breathing heavily, looking pained and guilty, and everyone else was in a state of shock and fear. No one knew what to do as she shivered and writhed on the hard floor, and every time she wailed, a wave of flinches went through the onlookers.

Snape loathed the helplessness he felt as he watched her and a part of him that he'd thought had long since given up of wishing resurfaced and he wished with every ounce of fiber he commanded that he could be the one wailing on the floor instead of that little girl. That girl that was kind without being saccharine and strong without being callous. That girl that had been beaming sunshine at him before he even realized it, and by the time he had, it was too late, because he'd unconsciously grown used to her warmth. The mere thought of her in pain was unbearable, but seeing it with his own eyes was pure torture and he wondered if perhaps this was the way she had felt as she fought her way to him at Malfoy Manor. He rubbed the cloth over his left forearm, and knew he had to find some way to help her, even if it was small. Holtzer would walk through fire for him and if he had to be on the receiving end of her unknowing wrath, so be it.

Slowly, he knelt down on one knee next to her, and placed his hand on the part of her head on covered by her quaking arm. She flinched terribly and her hand flashed up to knock away his, but he caught he wrist and slid his hand up to hold hers, keeping the other on her head. Instead of fighting she allowed it to be held, but didn't grip back, it was limp and cold.

"I'm going to pick you up, Holtzer." Snape said softly, not sure if announcing it would make any difference. He hooked one arm under her curled knees and the other supporting her at the shoulders and stood up. She relaxed minutely, and he felt her take a less labored breath as he held her. Snape was unaware that everyone in the room was focused on him, and awestruck at the effect he seemed to have on the girl. She curled against him, and shook violently as she continued to sob. "Shhh, I've got you, Holtzer, I've got you. I'm not going anywhere." He soothed, grunting as he shifted her weight. He turned to Black. "If you would show me to her

room, please?" Snape said, for once ignoring the fact that it was Sirius bloody Black he was addressing. Black nodded mutely and distantly began leading Snape out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving the entire horrified Order behind.

Black opened the door to her room and gestured for Snape to go inside, a blank, troubled expression on his face. The room was a disaster area for the most part, Snape noted, with books all over the floor, empty cups on the nightstand and desk, and clothes draped carelessly over anything immobile. It was as scattered and disorganized as her brain, a hundred things lying around that she'd no doubt flit between as she often as flitted between her silly observations and ridiculous monologues. He almost smiled at the synchronicity of it. He walked to the edge of her bed, and seeing that it too was covered in books and laundry nodded towards it, causing Black to jump to attention and hastily clear it all away.

Snape laid her down, carefully as if she were made of glass and any harsh movements would make a crack form on her pale skin. He made to straighten up, but faster than he thought possible her arm shot forward to catch his hand, and she held it. Snape needed no more contemplation on what he was supposed to do; he conjured a plush chair next to her bed and sat down, holding her hand…and that was where he stayed.

8 days, 8 bloody days Snape had remained at Grimmauld Place, and the entire household was in a strange state of desperate stillness and filled with crippling anxiety. Dumbledore had taken over teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts, he hadn't even needed to be asked, one look at Snape's face had told him that the potions master couldn't be dragged away. Sirius and Remus were fit to be tied, and although Snape was as well, at least he had the good sense to keep it

internal so as to not cause needless panic. The only reason they hadn't been cursed all the way to Saint Mungo's was because Snape was sympathetic to their plight, and despite himself he found that he didn't loath having them there to help, though that truth would only ever be known to himself and God.

It was a testament to how much Holtzer had endeared herself to everyone, as they had all tried to help her in one way or another. Sirius and Remus stayed by her side almost as diligently as Snape himself had, leaving only to eat and sleep. Molly and Narcissa had taken over the task of changing her clothes and bathing her, which was apparently a two woman task as any time Holtzer was taken out of Snape's general vicinity she became, in a word, difficult. Holtzer had visitors throughout the day, various Order members bringing well wishes, care packages, and the current petty bane of Snape's existence…Flowers.

All those goddamned flowers. Her room was full to bursting with them, intricate vases and pots were crowded on every flat surface, the writing desk, her bedside table, the dresser, the top of the bloody wardrobe and even the floor. Daffodils, sunflowers, tulips, carnations and every other flowering plant yet discovered by man filled the room with a nausea inducing sweetness that had, on more than one occasion, caused Snape to consider using a bubble-head charm just to give his olfactory nerves a break. Despite this however, Snape was glad for the flowers in a strange way, he knew Holtzer would love them, and he found himself looking forward to when she would wake up and see them. He knew her eyes would light up and that genuine smile would bloom across her face, and Snape enjoyed seeing that smile. It was the smile she gave to things she loved, which to be fair, was most things…she loved many things and Snape admitted that was one of her more endearing qualities.

* * *

There was a misty glow around the edges of her vision, as if the world around her was trying to form and sharpen itself. A moment later it did, and the faint glow faded and turned crisp and detailed. She was in a cramped room, where everything seemed to be grey and cold, and the air was heavy with moister. There was a small cot in front of her, its side pressed against a peeling pale blue wall, with a sorry looking grey blanket atop it and a pillow that didn't look much thicker. Another cot lay on the opposite wall, a thin striped mattress folded on top of the springy bed frame, but otherwise bare. A wobbly looking wardrobe tilted again the same wall as the first cot, and a matching paint chipped nightstand with a small lamp giving off a cold light. Mis turned and saw him…sitting quietly on a plain wooden chair, staring out a window, watching the rain pitter against the glass and the London street below flooding itself into oblivion.

Mis took a step closer to him, feeling apprehensive despite the fact she knew this had to be a memory. He was very young, no older than four or five, and he looked like a cherub straight out of a Raphael painting, with cool toned light haloing around his plump face and dark curly hair. His eyes were large and the same color as when she'd met him on the blood moon, dark, fathomless blue that only seemed to deepen the longer she stared at them. She walked closer to him, and knelt down so she was closer to his eye level. There was something off about the child in front of her, and it took her a moment to realize what it was…He didn't move at all. If Mis

hadn't been searching for it she would've even missed the movement of his small ribcage as it expanded and contracted with his breathing. It was strange for such a small child to sit so still, his hands folded neatly in his lap, and although his feet didn't reach the floor, he didn't swing them, they just hung static.

"Tom." A woman called before walking into the room. Mis stood up and watched her as she stepped in. She was thin framed and rigid, like barbed wire in a plain navy blue dress that reached to her mid-calf. Her hair was light brown and fluffy looking, and although she had attempted to tame it into a bun at the back of her head, loose strands and fly-aways had escaped and gave her a disheveled, care worn appearance. Mis immediately knew she didn't like this woman. Her face was hawkish, but ruddy in a way that spoke of regular drinking, and her light brown eyes were cold as dead wood.

"Don't start cryin' now, I told ya didn't I? Was your own fault not heedin' me. They seemed like decent people, can't very well blame 'em for not wanting a freak as a son." The woman said, and what struck Mis more than the harsh words was the indifference in them. It was clear to Mis that this woman didn't give a single damn about getting a reaction as most bullies do, she simply didn't care at all. Mis turned to see if the woman's word had any effect of the boy. The young Dark Lord made no move or sign that he had even heard the woman. He kept his cherub face stoic, but…Mis blinked and looked again. There was something in his eyes, a flicker in them that Mis recognized as emotion. It was there, and it hurt Mis to see because it was sadness without any trace of bitterness or hate. She covered her mouth as an utterance of sympathetic pain escaped her lips because, she realized, this was not a young Dark Lord, this

was a child who'd be taken from an orphanage, then given back. Mis hadn't known such reckless cruelty existed, and she could barely believe it, but his eyes…Tom's eyes said it all.

There was a growing sensation in her heart, a feeling she couldn't pin-point the origins of, as it didn't seem to be coming from herself. They were his emotions, she suddenly understood, just the faintest touch of feeling that undulated next to her own. The woman clicked her tongue and sighed with an eye-roll.

"Well, still have to feed you, don't I? Supper'll be ready in twenty minutes, and don't think you'll be fending off clean up duty just because you want to wallow in self-pity. No sir." She said carelessly. Mis felt a sharp pain in her heart, and didn't know if it was from her or Tom. The woman shuffled out of the room with a swish of heavily starched fabric, and Mis and Tom were alone once again. Tom stared at the doorway for a moment, then turned to stare out the window where the rain was still gently tapping against the pane of glass. The world's grey color deepened and grew darker before Mis's eyes.

The world spun and flurried around her before settling on a different room. It was an office, with the only light being the cool, incandescent bulb hanging from a ceiling fan, making everything seem gritty and harsh. There was a crisp whack, making Mis's head jerk and scan the room quickly for the source of the noise. Mis felt her legs falter as she saw Tom, leaning forward against a darkly painted wall, propping himself at a 45 degree angle with stiff arms. A large man, over six feet tall and built like a tank, stood to Tom's right, a thick wooden cane.

A sound came from Mis's mouth that she had no control over, somewhere between disgust and pain.

Judging by Tom's increased height, Mis would say he was about 7, but he was still very small. He was wearing only a pair of smoggy grey pants with frayed hems and the waistband cinched with a dull brown belt. His pale, bony back was exposed and angry red welts, some bloody, were smeared on the skin across the back of his ribs and spine. There were older marks as well, blue and black and green like sickly, mutated weeds striking a contrast against his ghostly skin.

"You listen here, son. I don't like doing this, but the lake of fire will burn you more thoroughly than I'll ever be able to. You've got an evil in your soul, I can see it festering, and I doubt even this righteous staff can cleanse you, but I'll be damned myself if I let you act out your heresy under this roof." The man said, his breath coming out in heavy puffs and greasy sheen covering his face. He had a color high on his cheeks that made Mis feel ill, and she felt her stomach twist. There was another loud thwack and Mis flinched as the cane struck Tom again. She felt it, but not strongly, just a phantom feeling, a dull throbbing line high on her shoulder blade. Tom only made the slightest noise, but Mis knew he must've been biting his lips closed to keep away the scream that would've been natural.

"Evil is Evil, Tom…" Strike

"So it has been…" Strike

"so it is…" Strike

"So it will always be."

Strike.

"It is what you are."

Another wack rung in Mis's ears, and she stumbled forward as the pain grew on her back with every blow. The pain she felt was not her concern though, she only had eyes for the child in front of her, the helpless thing who bit back scream by sheer force of will alone.

"No!" She yelled, and lunged forward to try and block the cane coming down again, but it soared through her body and once again hit Tom with a crisp smack. Again and again. "Please…"She whimpered. Tom was bleeding more freely now, and Mis could feel the blood, his blood, dripping from her shoulder blades to her lower back. "No more…" She begged sinking to her knees, but memories are not known for their kindness. The pain wasn't only in her body, it was winding itself around her heart, squeezing it and molding itself to the throb of her heartbeat, infecting her soul with agony. She took a gasping inhale and started sobbing and pleading incoherently for mercy, every blow warping her mind. She begged for Tom and herself, because at that moment, there didn't seem to be much of a difference. She brought her arms over her head, squeezed her eye shut and sobbed, her throat becoming raw and tears pouring down her red face as she curled into herself. She shook violently on the floor, her body unable to tolerate the pain. Then, all at once it stopped, but the pain in her body and heart didn't, it just became more dull.

It took her several moments to realized she felt warmth on her curled up body, and after another moment of trying to master her breathing, she slowly straightened up and sat back on her legs, hiccuping and blinking away the tears from her eyes. She was outside…in a garden she recognized. The noon day sun beat down with a harsh heavy heat, but there was a cool breeze

that softened it, making it bearable and even pleasant. Wild roses of every color dominated the area, and thick foliage and trees offered shade to the buzzing bees that glided smoothly to each brightly colored flower.

"What's your name?" She heard a soft say, and jolted to look around for the source. It was Tom sitting on a white stone bench, still and quiet against the late-spring industry of the garden. Her eyes widened before realizing that he wasn't speaking to her, but to his hand. She sniffled and wiped her nose on her long sleeve, and scooted closer to him, sitting on her knees at the boy's feet. A small green snake, was curled around his wrist with its small head cocked curiously and its black dewdrop eyes alert.

"We only reveal a name in exchange for a name." The creature answered in a high hiss that Mis suddenly realized wasn't English.

"Why is that?" Tom asked, looking utterly enchanted by the little snake he was speaking

to.

"There is great power in names. To name something is to stake a claim upon it, and to know a name is to own a part of the being behind it." The snake explained patiently, but still clearly suspicious. The sound of the language itself defied description, and the strangeness of hearing an animal speak _at all_ was not lost on Mis. Judging from the way the snake spoke, she seemed very old to Mis and she felt herself being bewitched by the animal as well, and very curious to hear more, because everything the snake said seemed to carry a weight, and the sound of the language was like hearing a perpetual secret in the sound itself. Tom nodded his head thoughtfully.

"I understand, like how the miller's daughter didn't have to obey Rumplestiltskin after she guessed his name?" He said, and Mis could practically see the gears whirling in his head as he processed the snake's words.

"Jesus H. Christ…" Mis breathed. It was like watching a figure form out of a dense fog, and certain things were suddenly making more sense. Mis wondered if, maybe, this had something to do with why he'd changed his name. She'd thought he'd hated it because it was ordinary, and she was sure he did, but that apparently wasn't the only reason he changed it. Mis saw Tom contemplate what the snake had said, his eyes…Mis scooted even closer and leaned up to look at them more closely. The sun made them look completely different. The dark blue of the iris's she was used to had transformed into a color more like cornflowers than the deep sea. A still intact soul flickered from within them like a dancing flame as he happily considered the snake curled around his hand.

"I've never spoken with a human, I did not know men were capable of speaking our tongue." The snake stated, its tone switching from suspicious to conversational and pleasant.

"Where do you come from? Can others talk like you?" Tom asked in a subdued voice as if nervous about causing offense, though his eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

"Yes, we all speak, everything has a language of its own, to answer your first question, as for your second…I do not come from anywhere in particular, it was cold among the bushes so I came out to with intention to warm myself in the sun. My thanks for your hand, it has been sufficient to warm my blood." The snake answered…kindly? I was such a gentle sounding hiss that Mis couldn't help but think it sounded kind. A kind and gentle snake, what a strange thing Mis thought to herself.

The boy smiled down at the snake, and Mis watched him, completely entranced by how it formed on his lips, forming dimples in his cheeks, crinkling his eyes and making them sparkle even brighter. Had it been any other child, Mis would not have been able to stop herself from smiling along with him. There was a quality to it that she'd been told was similar in her own smile; it was infectious and something about it made a person hope that it would stay in place. However, the fact that this boy was the Dark Lord to be, gave Mis pause, because it simply didn't compute. Surely it was impossible that he'd ever been capable of smiling in a way that wasn't predatory…and yet she was literally faced with the realization that he did indeed have another smile, and no other soul had ever seen it, save herself and the little green snake curled around his wrist.

"I glad." Tom answered, shocking Mis once again. "I could make a house for you if you'd like, then we'd be able to talk again." He suggested, unable to hide his enthusiasm. The snake seemed to consider Tom for a moment, measuring him with his dewy black eyes sharply.

"If you intend to keep me as a pet, human, that will not do. My kind do not tame as other creatures will, but if you wish to be kin to me instead of master, I gladly accept." The snake replied imperiously. Tom nodded his head quickly, and the smile widened on his face further. There had been a time in his like when Tom Riddle hadn't sought to control something for the sake of controlling it, and Mis was amazed.

"My name is Tom." He said to the snake, hedging shyly. If snakes could chuckle that was the next sound Mis heard.

"And mine is Leto." The snake replied, dipping its tiny head in some kind of formal gesture. Mis stared fixedly at Tom's face and his dimpled smile and his bright eyes and felt a

rush of need to protect him, the feeling was almost maternal, and she often had a similar feeling when looking at Snape. The moment the instinct was there, however, it was followed by a crippling wave of sorrow because she knew she had no way to protect him. This time was long gone, lost to the blank oblivion of the past and though her will was formidable, she could not force time to turn back and there was no magic on earth that could assist her. There were no time turners for her…for Tom, and that truth ripped at her being, shredding her heart in a place too deep to ever be reached again, and she felt that pain changing her, twisting her insides in a way she knew she'd never be able to share with anyone, because this felt like poison, and she couldn't imagine exposing anyone else to its acidic burn. She clutched at her chest as if that would reach her raw heart that suddenly seemed as if it would like to cease its beat, because every throb was a torturous stutter the begged to be stilled if that meant the pain would end.

Tom was blissfully oblivious and, with the small snake still curled around his wrist, he stood up and began gathering large smooth stones and sticks together. He diligently sorted through them, selected the ones without blemishes or cracks and started to build a small shelter, his rosy face stern as if trying to will away any distractions. He wasn't using any magic, and before Mis could wonder at that, everything dissolved and reformed once again.

She was in a classroom this time, and although the windows let in a great deal of sunlight, there seemed to still be a dingy, stark quality to it. Thirty or so desks were lined methodically up and down the splintering wood floor, each having a child between the ages of 8 up to mid-teens occupying them. All the children were sitting with rigid posture, their focus singular on the the display behind Mis as if look away would garner punishment. Mis stood from

her crouched position shakily, and turned to face the same direction as the children. Another chasm formed inside her weary heart at what she saw.

Tom was standing with cast iron posture on top of a wooden stool, his arms stiffly at his sides and his feet pressed firmly together. To the casual viewer he would appear emotionless, but despite his mastery at stoicism Mis could clearly see the feeling in his dark blue eyes. They were full of anger and sadness and a bitterness that seemed far too old for him to possess, though he had once again aged a couple years. A large piece of yellowish paper covered his thin chest, hung from his neck by coarse brown twine.

 _I am the Devil's Kin._

Mis sucked in a sharp breath as her mind registered the words written in scratchy black

ink.

"Class, what are the wages of iniquity?" A man said, and Mis recognized him as the same bastard as before, the one with the cane.

"Death." Answered the children in unison.

"Correct, and what _is_ death?" The man asked, pacing in front of Tom, never taking his dead, shark-eyes away from the boy's face.

"To burn without recite and be forgotten by both God and Man." Once again answered the class in unison. Having attended many a morning in various Sunday schools, Mis was well acquainted with fire-and-brimstone doctrine, and there were few things on God's green earth that she hated more. Back hime her parents had referred to it as a bastardization of faith; a shameful sect of men and women whose only desire was the keep the proverbial flock fearful, compliant and most importantly, dependent. To Mis, faith was like a key that could open doors to truth, and

to her, a true heretic was not a non-believer, but one who fashions steel chains from those keys. Mis felt a cold hatred settle in her heart, and she knew it was Tom's emotions feeding her own.

"Excellent, class…Tom, What. Are. You?" The man asked through gritted teeth facing the boy and invading his space. Mis was strangely proud of Tom's stoicism, and it was even more satisfying how it only seemed to make the man's face go ruddier than it already was. Tom held himself with a defiance and pride that belied his age, and although she saw anger and hate in his deep blue eyes, she still couldn't see any trace of the Dark Lord in him.

"I am dead to the narrow path, and a son of the Adversary." Tom answered in a clear voice that could almost pass for bored. Mis would've smirked if it hadn't been for the twist pain in her heart. The man chuckled darkly.

"Let it never be said that Mr. Riddle isn't sharp as a fresh needle. A regular Thomas Edison, I'd wager…"The man said in a falsely cheerful voice. "But then the serpent is the most cunning beast the lord hath made, wasn't it? One can't help but wonder why God would even bother to create something inherently evil…but it is not our place to question the will of God. Everything, even the beasts and fallow work towards his purpose whether they want to or not, even those born of evil. Isn't that right, Tom?" The man monologued, his face slick with greasy sweat and his tone dark and threatening as he leaned his face even closer to Tom's. The boy didn't even dignify the man with a glance to feign interest.

"Yes, sir." Tom answered emotionlessly. Tom's indifference to the man's obvious taunting only served to redden the man's puffy cheeks further, making him look like an overripe tomato, rotten on the vine. The man turned crisply to the class, suddenly dropping the game and looks much more obviously menacing.

"If I catch anyone speaking to Mr. Riddle, I will be forced to take extreme disciplinary measures…This boy is not your friend, he is a hindrance to your very salvation. He is poison to your souls, for the darkness in his is infectious, and if you so much as look his way I'll have no choice but to assume you are sympathetic to the will of The Devil. Is that clear?" The man said his voice raising with anger, and spitting like an angry cobra.

White hot rage, blinding in its intensity crashed into Mis's chest like a flaming comet, and she recognized that the majority of it was not originating from herself but the boy standing on the stool, still as stone. It easily overcame the pain in her heart and consumed its beating. It was like she was experiencing the emotions he didn't have the luxury of expressing, and they flooded through Mis, making her feel claustrophobic in her own body. She desperately wanted this to end, to leave this place and these memories, to never think of them again and strike them from her mind, but instead of rest, her vision only shifted again.

The air was warm and heavy with a coming downpour, and everything was grey and limp. Her heart rattled against her ribcage, causing her limbs to quake and feel as though they would give out at any moment. There was a more distinct pain in her heart this time. Before it had been a general feeling, encircling her heart, but now it was like a dagger piercing her and the pain of it radiated throughout her body. She scanned her surroundings, and she realized she was in the same garden as before. All the wild roses seemed darker, their color dulled but the heavy cloud cover. Tom was standing to her left and he wasn't alone.

"You're just a lost cause Tom. This is the final strike upon the tablet of your redemption." The greasy faced man said, pointing to a pile of smooth stones and sticks, scattered and folded

into itself. Mis covered her mouth with her hands as she realized that it was the home Tom had made for the little snake, Leto.

Mis wanted to look away or close her eyes, but something inside her knew that this was important. She knew this was going to hurt, and she knew this was a small part of what she'd promised to endure. This was for Harry, and Sirius, Remus and Snape…this was for everyone. She'd never be able to understand Tom's pain if she turned away now, the entire world had turned away from him the very moment he'd been born, and Artemis Holtzer would not allow herself to do the same. Tom Riddle wasn't alone anymore, and though Mis knew that he may spend the rest of his life in darkness, in hate, and cruelty, and though Mis knew that he may never appreciate what she'd given up to try and bring a bit of light into an otherwise grim world…into Snape's world, and Harry's and even his own. None of that mattered, because when she looked at Tom's young face, she saw herself, stripped of all the love and comfort that her family had given her. They weren't so different Mis realized, they were mirror images of each other, both having the capacity for cruelty and ruthlessness, but also having the capacity to be gentle should anything gain their affection. Evil isn't born, evil hadn't been running in Tom Riddle's blood from the time of his birth, it had been allowed to root itself in his heart through years of abuse and cruelty. Evil wasn't born, it was made.

Mis steeled herself and her eyes found the small form of the snake, curled on the ground, twisted and smashed flat against the cobblestone path, its blood splattered as if it had been stomped by a heavy boot. Hot, silent tears began to run freely down her face as she dared a look at Tom. His face was straight, not a single emotion visible on it, but his eyes…they were red rimmed, though there was no wetness on his cheeks. Mis was vaguely aware that the man was

still speaking, but her entire being was focused on the young boy's face and the feeling of cold rusted steel driving into and infecting her heart.

It wasn't just the pain that she saw, or the sadness, or the anger, those were not the emotions swirling in his eyes that would haunt her…it was the hopelessness, and the utter acceptance. It was the face of a child who'd lost something the he believed could never be regained, the face of a child who was being forced to grow up before his time. His beautiful, dark blue eyes were no longer the eyes of a child, but neither were they a man's, they were something else entirely, with a cold, inhuman quality that she'd seen when she'd first met him at the blood moon ceremony. It was the first time she'd seen those empty eyes on Tom's young face. They were lifeless, uncaring, and full of a vast nothingness.

Mis wondered if perhaps this was the moment, that shifting moment when he'd given up and locked his heart and soul away. If that was true, Mis was surprised that she couldn't fully blame him for wanting to incinerate his own heart and soul, because the pain they were causing her was almost unbearable, and the only reason she could bear it in any capacity was because she'd known the other side of life; the one full of laughter and love, and he'd never had that.

Seeing the pain turn to hate in his eyes was like watching poison take effect on a body, seeing all the subtle ways it shifts the body's strength and devours it. She could feel it inside herself, this hate that she'd never felt that was so primal and ruthless. She wanted to destroy everything, but herself most of all. She wanted to rip apart each string of red muscle fiber, to crush her bones until the marrow splattered out, to claw at her chest and tear out her own beating heart…because any pain was better than this one that seemed to constrict the part of her that determined who she was, threatening to overtake it. She could feel how easy it would be to slip

into that velvet blackness and allow it to settle inside of her, because it offered a strange comfort, a dark comfort that promised peace from her conscience, no more fighting or struggling. Freedom from having to watch as everything was taken from her. Freedom to give this pain to others so she would no longer be isolated with it. Freedom to be something great and something terrible.

But the warm ember in her heart that remembered her family, and Snape and Sirius and Remus and the entire order wouldn't break, it didn't crumble though she herself wanted to. It held itself against the pain and hate, if for no other reason than for sheer spite. It was determined to prove that the poison inside of her was frail compared to the love she had for her family, for both families, the one she shared blood with and had nurtured her into who she was, and her chosen family, the one she'd adopted and loved no less because their blood was different.

The visions continued, a hundred or a thousand or an entire lifetimes worth, she didn't know as each started to bleed into the next. There was pain in them all, but nothing compared to that first one where he'd seen the squashed snake. There was no peace from it, no rest, but she held herself firm against it. It stopped finally with a flash of violent green light on the night Tom had killed Lily and James Potter and attempted to kill Harry. She'd witnessed first hand the change that had taken place inside of Tom Riddle, and it had tried to pull her into something cold, but alluring in the promises it made…but Mis had never liked the cold, and the ember in her heart drove the chill away, though the pain couldn't be.

Tom and the almost sentient pain inside of him was a part of her now, so close that she could no longer fully distinguish what emotions were hers and which were his. She felt his soul

fluttering beside her own with every breath she took, shouldering the weight of his life as it bound itself to her. It felt as though his life was her own, as if she'd lived two lives and the first one, although still there, seem much farther away than it ever had before. She felt weighed down by age and crowed in her own body, and she realized that was because her body no longer belonged to her alone, she was now sharing it. Tom's soul was dark and cold, there was no denying that, and she felt it pulling at her own fussily, like an impatient child and Mis found it strangely endearing. Almost unconsciously, she felt herself reach towards it, and although it wanted to, it couldn't pull away as she tried to share her warmth. She felt an intense desire to warm this shard of soul that now lived next to hers, and when she began to reach for it more persistently, that was when she began to wake up.

She was in her bedroom at Grimmauld place and she realized her eyes must've been open for a long time because they burned and she hadn't remembered opening them. Judging from the light pouring from the large gothic window, it was sometime in the late afternoon. She took a deep breath in and was flooded with the scent of fresh flowers and greenery. Mis cocked her head as her ears began working and music started drifting into her ears.

 _Sail on silver girl, Sail on by…_

 _If you need a friend, I'm sailing right behind_

 _Like a bridge over troubled water, I will lay me down_

 _Like a bridge over troubled water,_

 _I will ease your mind._

Mis immediately knew who was playing that song and why.

" _Christ on the cross, Snape! Are you ever going to have a correct opinion about music, or am I gonna have to suffer through another goddamn battle with you?!" Mis demanded, throwing her arms up in the air, cursing the frustrated existence she was being subjected to._

" _You didn't even let me answer the fucking question!" Snape snapped back in outrage. "You asked me which Simon and bloody Garfunkel album is the best, then proceeded to shout over me you blithering moron." Snape exclaimed, his face colored with annoyed disbelief. Mis huffed, unimpressed with his logic and waved an imperious hand for him to get on with it and tell her his almost certainly wrong opinion. Snape narrowed his eyes at her._

" _It's quite obviously Bridge Over Troubled Water." Snape stated calmly. Mis opened her mouth, ready to argue before realizing what he'd said and shutting her mouth and dropping her stiff posture._

" _Even a broken clock is right twice a day…" Mis mumbled, crossing her arms as if disappointed that she hadn't had the opportunity to argue. Snape raised a disbelieving eyebrow, and kept his eyes on her, waiting for the punch line._

" _This agreement is unsettling." Snape said, not bothering to hide his suspicion. Mis concurred, she liked it better when she could argue with him. Mis's face suddenly brightened._

" _Name the best song on the album on the count of three." Mis demanded of Snape urgently. "One, Two, Three…"_

" _The Boxer!" Snape shouted._

" _Bridge Over Troubled Water!" Mis shouted at the same time. The girl smiled as, once again, all was right with the world._

Mis felt her insides warm at the memory, and her body relaxed minutely. She sighed as part of the pain in her heart dissipated. She was suddenly aware that one of her hands was freezing, but the other was warm and comfortably sheltered by another one, rough and callused though it was she found herself immensely happy that it was there. She followed the line of the hand and arm up to Snape's sleeping form, sat in a plush chair next to her bed. He was wearing a plain white button up rolled at his forearms, a pair of black pants and his typical black robes were nowhere to be seen. She smiled tenderly at him. She knew he'd be with her, she'd known he wouldn't leave her side. That was Snape's way, silently there, guarding like a watchmen in the night, unmoving and diligent. He stayed at his post so other's could rest, never requesting anything to sustain him, and content to remain unseen and unhonored for his work. That was one of the many characteristics that made Mis love him.

Mis's heart felt worn down like an ocean stone, every wave rubbing her insides raw, keeping the wounds open. She unconsciously squeezed Snape's hand, and shut her eyes as her heart throbbed with Tom's memories. She felt Snape stir beside her and she opened her eyes to look at him. He yawned and blinked several times before looking at Mis. He did a double take,

and a multitude of emotions passed on his face as he realized her eyes weren't just open, they were present and she was awake.

"Holtzer…" He said softly. She gave him a small sad smile, but before Mis could do or say anything, he lunged forward and in one fluid motion sat on the edge of her bed and yanked on the hand he was still holding to pull her out from under the covers and onto his lap. Mis was too shocked to move, and Snape took a moment to adjust her slightly, positioning her side against his chest to cradle her like a small child. Mis brought her arms close to her chest and curled her legs instinctively, before nestling her face into his neck without a second thought. He held her like as if he were trying to keep her from breaking apart, and she realized that perhaps he was. Every atom in her body seem to recognize she was safe, that she was home, and it flooded her body like morphine. Snape always seemed to know exactly what Mis needed at any given time, and she was grateful for that, for his soul that seemed to speak the same language as her own, and simply knew. Mis felt tears begin to fall freely down her face, it seemed the only thing her body could do at that moment, it was shell shocked from pain, and grief, and anger, but also the relief of having Snape there with her. Her tears began soaking the wrinkled collar of Snape's white shirt, but he said nothing, and instead just rocked her back and forth as if she were very precious and very fragile.

"I saw everything, Snape…His entire life, and I felt everything he did, and it hurts, Snape. It hurt's so much. One body wasn't meant to have this many emotions…" She said, her voice barely above a whisper. "There was no reason for what they did, the people at the orphanage…They kept saying over and over again that I…that he was evil, and then he started to believe it. If only someone would've been there, just one person to tell him he wasn't, that he

didn't have to be." She said thickly. She sniffled meekly. "I remember in one of Dumbledore's memories, a woman told him that Tom had always been strange…that'd he'd never cried as a baby, and that always confused me because…because…" Mis's voice broke and she started sobbing in earnest. "Because my dad said the same thing about me. I hardly ever cried as a baby, it freaked my mom out so bad in the beginning, she thought there was something wrong with me, but my dad told her that it ran on his side of the family. Neither my brother or sister got it, just me. He'd been the same way, Holtzers are very quite babies for some reason, who only cry when in pain or woken up, not when we're hungry or bored or left alone." She said though great stuttering sobs, shaking slightly as she pressed herself even closer to Snape as if he could shield her.

"Hush now, Holtzer, it's alright, I've got you. I'll tell you something nice if you calm down, just pay attention, don't focus on the pain, it'll only get worse if you do that. Ok?" He said gently, still rocking her softly. Mis nodded as she hiccuped and tried to calm her breathing.

"My mother's last name was Prince, and that's what she always called me, Little Prince… like the story. Isn't that just disgustingly sweet? She was lovely though, tall with long, straight black hair, matching eyes, and very pale as well, everyone said I was the spitting image of her. She was a Hufflepuff believe it or not, never dared harm any living soul. She was so gentle and the thing that I remember most vividly about her was her hands." Snape said, and Mis found herself being soothed by the tenderness in Snape's voice. "They were so soft, I don't know how she kept them that way…she was a very accomplished potions master like myself, and usually our hands suffer for it, corrosive substances are always near us and burns are inevitable. She never even wore gloves though, and I haven't the slightest idea how she managed to keep

her hands so pristine. And goodness, did she love musicals…" He chuckled softly. "She'd seen them all, but her favorites were the classics, especially anything with Judy Garland or Gene Kelly. We always went together when they were rereleased in the cinema. You would've liked her, she was always singing." He finished distantly. Although there was a touch of sadness in Snape's voice, Mis found herself cheered by his fond reminiscence. Hearing about Snape's mother was doing Mis good, though she didn't know why exactly, perhaps it was hearing him speak of the past with affection rather than bitterness. Mis smiled to herself.

"You think she would've liked me?" Mis asked.

"Shut up, Holtzer. Everyone adores you and you bloody well know it. The entire Order would run over hell's half acre trying to find you a blade of grass if you asked them to." Snape retorted crisply.

"I know…I know they do." She said heavily, before raising her head to look around the room. "I mean look at all these flowers!" She said, her heart feeling full with affection for everyone. She glanced around the room and smiled at it, seeing how her room could easily pass for a flower shop in the state the it was in. She smiled and it felt good and clean and untroubled. She looked over at Snape and was struck for a moment by the look on his face. It was full of love, clear and bright sparkling through his coal black eyes and the tiniest smile on his face. Something in Snape's face made Mis feel like the pain she'd felt and was still feeling, was worth it. Before she could comment, however, she heard footsteps approaching her room.

"Snape, I've got Mis's fluids, are you going to give them to her or shall I?" Sirius called walking into the room. He looked like hell on a Monday, with his hair pulled away from his very gaunt face and his ratty t-shirt and jeans, carrying a jug of pumpkin juice and large glass. He

froze in the doorway upon seeing Mis sat up and curled against Snape. Gingerly, she attempted to stand, keeping ahold of Snape's hand to steady herself.

"Mis!" Sirius cried dropping the items he was carrying, unable to hide his enthusiasm at her being awake. Thankfully, Snape threw a cushioning charm lazily at the glass and jug of pumpkin juice to keep it from crashing to the floor, but Sirius only had eyes for the weary looking girl hobbling towards him. Sirius caught her face in both his hands and kissed her forehead, before embracing her tightly, though trying to be gentle. Mis chuckled and wound her arms around his waist, holding him as firmly as she was able. He pulled away and tenderly brushed the hair out of her face to inspect her closely, apparently looking for signs of damage. Mis looked up at him and saw his grey eyes were a bit misty, and the tip of his nose was a little red. She smiled and gently laid her hand on his stubbled cheek.

"Don't be sad, Lassie, I'm fit as a fiddle…" Mis felt the pain in her heart that was becoming familiar rear itself. Mis shook her head. "Scratch that, I'm not as fit as a fiddle, maybe fit as a banjo…fit as the banjo that lost the duel in Deliverance." She said, wincing in pain.

"Neither banjo lost the duel in Deliverance, Holtzer." Snape informed her. Mis rolled her

eyes.

"Why do you always complicate my jokes with technicalities?" She asked him tartly. "You make poorly thought out jokes and I correct them, we all have our place in the

grand scheme of things." Snape said philosophically, waving his hand in the air. Mis snorted. The pain in her chest became sharper, and she stumbled away from Sirius, clutching at her heart.

"Mis?! What's wrong?!" Sirius demanded anxiously. Mis waved him off and took several deep breaths as she felt like a cold steel spike was driven into her heart.

"Wow…that is really fuckin' unpleasant, god, my heart feels like its being stabbed by an icicle." Mis said, shivering as the pain dissipated to a dull throb. She glanced at both Sirius and Snape who had very nervous expression on their faces. "So, how long was I out for?" Mis asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Almost 8 days…" Sirius answered somberly before a strange look appeared on his face, it seemed almost proud. "Snape never left your side…bit creepy if you ask me, but there it is." Sirius said, trying to shrug off the obvious admiration he'd just shown to Snape. Mis smiled widely.

"Oh? and what were you doing, huh? gorging on cookie dough while I wasted away?" She teased, lightly hitting him on the arm.

"Actually, it was Shark Week on the Discovery channel, so I was pretty well occupied." Sirius teased back.

"Goddammit, I can't believe I missed Shark Week!" Mis huffed pettily, crossing her arms. Sirius cleared his throat, and Mis noticed the abrupt silence that had descended on the three of them.

"Mis…what happened?" Sirius asked. The girl swallowed and blinked several times as her eyes stung.

"I relived his memories, the ones of his childhood and after as well…" Mis felt her body weaken as the memories flitted across her minds eye, draining her. "…it was…I don't have words for it." She said, shaking her head as she realized the futility in trying to explain what she'd seen. She glanced between Sirius and Snape, and desperately wanted to wash the worry and fear from their faces.

"What now, Holtzer?" Snape asked. Mis turned to look at him, and until that moment she hadn't known what was next, but after the words left his mouth, realization crashed into Mis like a herd of wild horses.

"I'm going to give him back his soul." She said simply, with a nod.

"How're you going to do that?" Sirius asked. Mis snorted humorlessly.

"Fuck if I know." She replied with a shrug.

* * *

There had been times in the Dark Lord's life when he'd felt as if the entire cosmos, every fucking atom and every unseen bloody string of magic made. no. sense. But this…this he had no words for, because what he was seeing was far and away the single most confusing thing that he had ever experienced, and the Dark Lord would be the first to admit that life made no sense unless one forced it to. He was outside, and the sun was burning in a rage so unbearably hot that he was half convince it was intentional, that this sun was a bloody sadist. He seemed to be in a large backyard surrounded by a low, grey painted fence, a large swing set to his left, a pool to his right and a reasonably sized red brick house behind him. Beyond the fence, the landscape was rocky and brown, with a large mountain close enough that he was able to make out saguaro cacti, mesquites and iron wood blooming with vibrant reds and golds up its slope. He was confused at how much he liked it, as if he'd been to this place before, yet he knew he had not. All of this, however, was not the strangest element of this apparent vision, not by a mile.

The strangest thing was that he was not alone. Three children were playing some kind of make-believe game in the yard, running barefoot on the surprisingly unwithered, dark-green

grass, chasing each other with neon water pistols. They were ignoring him entirely, as if they didn't see him at all, and that was when the Dark Lord realized that what he was experiencing must be a memory. He hadn't the slightest idea how this was happening, or to whom these memories belonged. Determined to get to the bottom of this strangeness, he took a step closer to the playing children, and inspected them clinically as if that would help him to decipher who's memories he was in. The first girl was lanky and slender with a delicate, pretty face, light brown jaw length hair, pale blue eyes and tanned skin. At about 13, she was clearly the oldest. The next was a boy who appeared to be the girl's brother as they had similar features and the same exact shade of hair. He had a younger looking face and the Dark Lord deduced that, although he was already taller than his sister, he couldn't be older than 10.

The youngest child, a girl of about 8, was vastly different from the other two. She was far smaller and her hair was dark brown and almost past her waist, and where the others were quite tanned, she had skin like a porcelain doll. Abruptly, the youngest girl spun around, her water pistol shooting haphazardly towards the other two children. If the Dark Lord hadn't know better, he would've thought she'd seen him because her eyes were so…sharp. The Dark Lord's own eyes widened, and they began to sparkle with a positively maniacal glee. It was her…his little viper as a child. Now that he saw her face properly he knew it was definitely her. Her face was soft and heart shaped, with a sunburn flush across her nose and cheeks making her look like one of heavens cherubim, pure and innocent. He smirked, but those dark hazel eyes flashed with undiluted mischief, only a fool would fail to recognize that this girl was no angel.

"Juuuune, my gun's empty." Artemis whined, pulling the trigger a few times to no effect.

"I told you to conserve, you're too trigger happy." The other girl, June, trilled with a laugh as she ran and dodged her brother's attempts to shoot her.

"When you run out of water, you lose, Missy." The boy taunted, as he chased his sister around the yard. Artemis look on bitterly as they continued to laugh and chase each other with the water pistols. The girl stomped over the the patio steps and thumped herself down, crossing her arms and huffing. The Dark Lord followed and watched her carefully as an idea made her eyes glimmer. She straitened up her slumped posture and smirked. Keeping a watchful eye on her preoccupied siblings, she slowly stood up and strolled casually to the small vegetable garden next to the patio. Artemis scanned the patch of earth quickly until her eyes sparkled as they caught sight of a coiled green garden hose. Giggling to herself softly, she picked it up, and in one fluid motion, whipped around and squeezed that handle as hard as she could. A harsh jet of water shot from it, arching through the air before landing directly on the top of her brother's light brown head. The boy hit the ground with a high shriek as if a bomb had just been dropped on top of him, sputtering a coughing the whole way down. It took a moment for June to realize what had happened but when she did she fell onto the soft grass as well, clutching her stomach as painful sounding laughter burst past her lips. Artemis let go of the hose handle and appraised her work, unfettered smugness in her hazel eyes.

"That's cheating, Mis!" The boy exclaimed in outrage, wiping away the water from his eyes. "You can't use the hose!" He insisted, appalled at the injustice that had befallen him.

"Good lord, it sounds like someones being murdered out here." Came a woman's mild voice from the backdoor. The Dark Lord saw that the woman had the same stature as Artemis, no taller than his shoulder blade, yet having a distinctly strong presence. Artemis didn't resemble

the woman in the slightest, however, it was clearly the other two who had taken after their mother's looks. Following behind the woman as she stepped out onto the back porch was a tall, straight bodied man, who was instantly recognizable as Artemis's father. He had pale skin, though not as pale as the girl's, hair that was nearly black, and hazel eyes that glittered in precisely the same way Artemis's did.

"Ma! Missy cheated, she used the hose, that a violation!" The boy said with absurd indignation.

"I did not cheat." Artemis replied imperiously. "You said that when I ran out of water that means I lose…So I got the hose, now I'm always the winner." Artemis bragged with self satisfaction. The boy was about to retort before the father stepped forward.

"Did you all agree that the hose was off limits?" Artemis's father asked the boy, a knowing smile on his face. The boy opened his mouth to answer, then shut it again.

"It doesn't have to be agreed on, it's everybody knows the hose is off limits during a water gun fight." The boy mumbled.

"Ah…" The man said, walking down to hook an affectionate arm around the boy's neck. "The devil's in the details, Ryan…especially with your sister, she could find a loophole through a slab of concrete." The man joked, shooting Artemis a secret wink. The little girl giggled and the woman sighed.

"Sweetheart, I'm not sure if that's a trait we should be encouraging." The mother said, half in exasperation but half amused.

"But mom, I want to be able to work the system." Mis whined, dragging her feet as she walked over to the woman, her eyes wide and doe-like. She looked down at her daughter, closed

her eyes and shook her head as if it was all a lost cause. She pulled Artemis to her side affectionately.

"Hush, you little beast, stop listening to you're father…I swear the two of you would be super villains if it weren't for me and your siblings." She said fondly, brushing her fingers tenderly through the little girl's long dark hair in attempt to straighten it's waviness. Before Artemis could answer, a jet of water shot past the little girl's face and directly at her mother's chest. There was a stunned silence in which the woman stood shocked with her arms held slightly up and her grey t-shirt dripped. Mis spun around and spied her father, the hose in his hand but somehow managing to look guiltless. Giggles erupted from Mis's lips as she bounded away from her mother to leap into her father's arms. The man chuckled happily as he caught her with one arm and swung her around to cling to his back.

"Daddy, let's take over the world!" Artemis trilled, with an over-dramatic laugh.

"That's my girl, come on, they're all a bunch of goody-two-shoes." He said pointing the hose at his wife again threateningly. "Unless they're too chicken." He taunted. The older girl and boy gave identical shouts of outrage before Artemis's mother held up her hand, silencing them sternly. Everyone stilled beneath the woman's air of authority until she cocked her head to one side and smiled. There were several shouts of happiness as the woman came out to stand on the grass, pulling her blond hair back into ponytail with the elastic band on her wrist.

"Alright, you two demons need to be taught a lesson. All vessels and/or apparatuses that hold, shoot or contain water, with the exception of water guns and balloons are off limits. That includes the pool, no throwing anyone in." She said, going to stand next to the two older children. Artemis's father chuckled.

"See, Ryan? That's how you lay down an agreement." The man said, proudly considering his wife.

"18 years of marriage to you has taught me, sweetheart." The woman answered teasingly.

Everything abruptly dissolved away and The Dark Lord was suddenly in a brightly lit kitchen. Artemis's mother was sitting on a stool at the grey marble island peeling carrots and potatoes. There was a distant but loud crash as the front door was opened and closed in an apparent frenzy, causing the woman to yelp in shock, dropping her peeler as well as a half peeled carrot on the grey tiled floor. A moment later Artemis barreled into the room, her hair a wild, dark flurry around her head and her face red and dewy. She was a couple years older, though her height hadn't changed much, her body had developed into an awkward knees and elbows phase.

"Artemis Ruth Holtzer!" The woman barked, clutching her chest as if to stop her heart from leaping out of it. "Do not run into the house like that unless someone is dying, you nearly gave me a heart attack…and then I'd die and haunt you." The woman said crossly, bending to pick up the fallen items.

"Mom…" Artemis said, completely out of breath. She held up a large book with a blue dust jacket, but the angle was such the Dark Lord couldn't make out the title. The woman looked over mildly before it warmed and she chuckled with a small head shake.

"Oh, you got it? I thought it was sold out everywhere." The woman said, going to the refrigerator and taking out a bottle of water. She passed Artemis the drink, and the girl beamed like a ray of sunshine before taking the bottle and draining it in nearly three swallows. She pulled away from it, gasping for air as her mother waited for her to catch her breath.

"They were, but daddy said Mrs. Weber pre-ordered one for me, isn't that so nice. I love that old bat. So I biked there after school, Ryan's still mowing working on her yard by the way and he said for me to tell you and dad that he hates you both and he's gonna be late for dinner. Anyway, I went there and she had it for me and said she wasn't sure I read 'em but for me to keep it anyway. Can you believe it? So I showed her my Slytherin notebook and folder and thanked her so many times she asked me if I'd gone brain dead." Mis related rapidly, full of joy that bordered on mania. Her mother laughed.

"That's great, Missy, so I take it you'll be sequestered from polite society until you finish." The woman asked, clearly already knowing the answer as she pointed to the book in the girls arms.

"Sounds about right." The girl confirmed brightly, clutching the book to her chest as if it were priceless beyond measure.

"Uh huh, well I'll bring your dinner up, sweetie, wouldn't want to impose." The woman said in a tone that indicated both annoyance and indulgence. Artemis bounced up and down excitedly, and ran to kiss her mother on the cheek. The woman allowed it before grasping the girls face gently with both of her hands to hold her in place while giving her a stern look.

"Don't stay up too late, and take a break if it gets too intense for you…you'll make yourself sick, do I have to remind you about the graveyard scene incident?" She asked. The girl rolled her eyes, but nodded. The woman smiled and kissed Mis on the tip of her nose before letting her run off. "Oh, Missy…what's this one called?" Her mother called after her. "You know, so I can give your siblings and father a reason for why they won't be seeing you." She said with a long suffering sigh. Mis giggled.

"The Order of the Phoenix." She called back, her voice getting fainter as she ran away. The Dark Lord's eyes widened and he felt his heart thrum more distinctly in his chest, had he heard that correctly? No…no, it couldn't be. That was impossible, but it did explain certain things, was this book perhaps some kind of record? But how could that be? Before he had time to dwell on it further, the scene changed again. He was in a dim room that he might've mistaken for a small library or study had it not been for the bed shoved in the corner, apparently as a formality as the girl was instead laying on the floor, a cover over her head and her book propped against a pillow. The Dark Lord knelt down next to her face and watching unwaveringly as she read, and almost hysterical gleam in her eyes. She mouthed the words to herself and turned the page feverishly, then went very still.

"Goddammit, Harry, it isn't real, don't go, you moron." She mumbled murderously. She read a few more moments. "Harry, I swear to christ, you never fucking listen to me…"She said shaking her head. She continued to read, then stilled again, her body going completely rigid.

"No…" She said in disbelief. "No." She turned the page. "NO!" She yelled, her eyes beginning to well up with angry tears. She thrust the book away, and pushed herself up roughly to pace in her room like a caged animal. The Dark Lord smiled at her, she certainly was lovely when she was full of anger. Beautiful like a charging lightening storm, reckless and ready to destroy anything in her path. Ruthless and cruel and lovely. A sweet face with devil eyes, and he wanted it to himself…To possess her and her rage and passion and bend it to his will.

She sat on the edge of her bed as angry tears fell from her dark eyes for a moment before crisply wiping them away and throwing herself back down next to the book. She read a few more pages and then burst into tears and started sobbing into her pillow. He felt himself growing

angry, and he found himself not liking the sight of her crying in earnest. It didn't sit well with him, she was his possession and therefore under the protection all his worthy objects had. He wouldn't abide them being harmed. It didn't last long however, before she thrust herself up again and yanked open her bedroom door. The Dark Lord followed as she stormed through the sleeping halls of her house to the kitchen. She went directly to the fridge and retrieved a carton of fresh strawberries and a can of whipped cream. She shoved a large strawberry in her mouth, chomped off the stem with her teeth and threw her head, spraying the whipped cream directly in her wide open mouth. His eyes darkened slightly at the display before he jolted at the sound of a deep male voice that effectively ceased that train of thought.

"What happened, honey bee?"

Mis turned rapidly, having not noticed her father seated at the kitchen table, a bowl of mixed berries in front of him. Her mouth still full, she started crying and flew at her father, landing on his lap, causing him to grunt in pain but catch her institutionally. She swallowed down the food, and tried to stutter out an answer before nestling her head in his neck.

"Daddy…" She sobbed. Mis couldn't see that her father was biting back a smile.

"Who died, Missy?" The man asked while gently rocking her back and forth like a small

child.

"Si…Si…Siriuuuuusss." She wailed. Her father nodded knowingly.

"I'm sorry, honeybee. You just cry as long as you want. I'm right here, ok?" The man said. The tenderness in the man's voice had a strange effect on The Dark Lord's lungs. They felt warmed, with a pleasant glowing heat, and for the first time since entering these memories, he felt genuinely disturbed. The sensation was like drinking boiling tea, burning and almost blistering as it flowed into him, spreading from his lungs to his stomach and then outward to his limbs.

Something was very wrong, and he felt fear prickle against his skin, because this felt like fire inside of him, hell bent on feasting upon his insides and turning them to grey ash. It was emotion, he knew that logically, and he knew it was not coming from himself. It was radiating from the girl sitting on her fathers lap. Her breathing slowed down from the flustered huffing that she'd had only moments before, and she looked up at her father's face with a pathetic sniffle. The man finally allowed himself a chuckle, and Artemis pretended to look appalled for a moment , but there was something about the man's laugh and smile that was infectious and Artemis found herself starting to laugh along with him. The burning in the Dark Lord's body was becoming almost unbearable, but as he focused on it more closely, he realized it wasn't exactly painful. It felt like being having his skin rubbed raw, but it felt cleansing as well. It was more than a little disconcerting to him. He mentally tried to block it, occlude it from himself, but it seemed no matter how hard he tried it remained persistently.

It ended suddenly, and this time the Dark Lord was in a forest, the canopy above muting the sun, but not overly so. It took him a moment to realize that Artemis was on the ground laying on her stomach in dark green and brown clothes, blending into the ferns and earth around her. A rifle was resting on a rotten log, with the butt braced against her shoulder. The Dark Lord felt a surge of something primal shoot through his body, but once again recognized these were not his own emotions but the girl's. The sensation was intoxicating, and though she was still as stone, her pupils were dilated, making them look almost black. He could see the quick, manic

movement of her pulse beneath the delicate skin of her neck and found that his own was beginning to match its intensity.

She watched the small meadow like a predator, waiting. Her body made the slightest tick as her eyes locked on a young buck hesitantly stepping out into the peaceful open space. Artemis swallowed as she waited for the creature to line up with her gun. The Dark Lord had a list in his mind of the greatest sights he'd ever seen and the girl in front of him was without a doubt in the top ten of that list. With her dark eyes feral and sharp as adrenaline pumped through her body, her flushing cheeks, and the cold steely expression on her sweet face. The heat in her eyes seemed to infect his body and he felt a desire to take her in every way that was humanly possible sweep through him, and at that moment there was nothing in the world he wanted more than the fire inside her.

The buck aligned with her gun and she let out a deceptively steady breath before firing. The shot bounced through the trees and from the look on her face it seemed as if she'd been the one shot instead of the deer. Mis leapt up the moment she saw the buck crumple to the ground and raced towards it her gun left behind. He seemed to glide along side her and he watched, enchanted as her arms and legs pumped forward, propelled by her obvious hunter instinct. But as she drew closer, something in her eyes changed and by the time she jogged up to the buck, there was no more heat in her eyes, it had vanished as if it had never been.

"Nice shot, Missy. Carful, you'll make your namesake jealous." The Dark Lord heard her father joke, jogging up beside her. Reaching the deer, she looked down and contemplated it a moment before dropping to her knees and started to cry. Her father knelt down as well and put his arm around her shoulder bracingly.

"I cried the first time, too, so did your brother. June wouldn't even shoot, you remember." He said softly. Artemis looked at the dead animal and reached her hand to its neck a stroked the thick fur there. She sniffled.

"It was like I forgot what I was actually doing, I wasn't looking at it like a deer, it was just meat…I don't think I like that feeling." Artemis said meekly. "I'm sorry." She said sadly to the creature still petting its fur. "I hate this! It'd like I'm cruel and weak at the same fucking time!" She spat, retracting her hand and running it through her hair fretfully.

"Hunting isn't cruel for a lion to feed its cubs, Missy, and not wanting to take life is not weakness. This deer will feed your mom, June, Ryan, me and yourself…there's honor in that. To be able to care for and protect your family is one of the greatest blessings there is. There is also honor in being gentle and compassionate, in holding to values that maintain peace, having a heart like that is a blessing to everyone. You can be either, or a little of both and I'll love you just the same, no matter what kind of heart you have, because whichever you choose, you already have a good heart and that won't change."

The girl looked up at her father as he spoke, drinking his words in and the Dark Lord could almost see her committing this lesson to memory and etching her father's words onto her heart. She wiped off the tears on her face and nodded.

"I want to be the kind of person that feeds and protects my family." She said, her voice small but clear and steady. Her father smiled down at her warmly, the sunlight glittering in his eyes that were the same hazel as the girl's.

"Sometimes that's gonna mean you have to do things you don't want to do. People like you and I are here to pick up the slack. Take your sister, she loves us with all her heart, but she

doesn't have the capacity to take life, that's why she and your mother have you and I. We may not like it, but we're here to let them be who they are, to protect them and cherish that gentleness in them." He said, his voice strong with pride and conviction. "They have more morality than us, Missy. We don't listen to that voice in our heads that tell us to back off, we fight, we hunt, it's part of our nature. That's why it's important for us to stay around people who we love, they soften us, and if we didn't have them, we'd end up caring for ourselves alone. Never forget that, never forget your weakness because it's our greatest flaw, and the most dangerous flaw in any person is the one that isn't seen, or worse, willfully ignored, that's why you can never forget." The man explained in a deep stern voice. Artemis nodded before taking a steadying breath and looking over at her father with a small smile.

"So, was this all a ploy for you to get all life-lessony and inspirational and shit?" Mis asked cheekily. Her father laughed.

"Partially, but hunting has been important to our family. My dad took me hunting and his father before him and I took your sister and brother and now you. And you know what? I've got a feeling you're the one who's gonna carry on the tradition. Ryan did it, but he's the same as your mother and June, they've got something we don't and we've got something they don't. We may not understand everything about each other, but you don't have to understand someone in order to love them. All you need to do is love your family and friends for precisely who they are, don't try and change 'em, and if you must teach, only do it by example. Use your own actions as a way to nudge them into better versions of themselves and let them do the same for you." He said with a smile the girl couldn't help but mirror. "Damn, you're a lucky girl to have such a brilliant father. Shit, I am _killin_ ' this whole "Dad Thing", I'm killin' it as thoroughly as you killed Bambi

here." The man said jutting his rifle in the buck's direction, and turning to look at Mis with an amused expression on his face.

"Too soon, dad." Artemis replied evenly, though she was fighting back a smirk. The man chuckled brightly.

"I know, that's why it's funny." He replied, slapping her crisply on the back. "Alright…" He said, grunting as he pushing himself to his feet. "Get him wrapped up, I'm not helping you. It's your first kill, you gotta see it through to the end, won't have my girl do anything by halves." The man said, swinging his backpack around to retrieve a blue tarp and thin but strong looking rope which he passed to Artemis.

"You're not even gonna help me carry it?!" Artemis demanded in outrage. The man snorted.

"Afraid you'll crack a nail?" He asked derisively. The girl looked down at her semi-long pink nails.

"I mean, yeah, a little…" She muttered, before looking up at her father sternly. "It hurts, and it takes forever to grow back!" She said prissily. The man rolled his eyes.

"Wrap it up, princess, we're losing daylight. What am I paying you for?" He said clapping his hands crisply.

"You're not paying me." She answered tonelessly.

"Well, maybe I would if you'd throw a bucket of water instead of pissin' on the fire." He retorted effortlessly. Artemis laughed despite herself and unfolded the large tarp, she paused and looked up at her father.

"Where do you get all these weird ass phrases?" Artemis asked in genuine curiosity. The man laughed.

"They're passed down, Missy, and you're next in line so you get to hear 'em." He said with a smirk.

The strange sensation in the Dark Lord's body wasn't ending, even as the scene changed again, in fact it seemed to be growing stronger.

"Oh my god, Snape! If that isn't A plus material, then I'm a goddamn minister." Mis said in unrestrained outrage and righteous disbelief.

"It's half past midnight, Holtzer, do not start with me, and quit looking over my bloody shoulder, I absolutely loath that." Snape growled. His comment went ignored and in fact the girl only lent closer so as to better read the apparent essay resting on the desk in front of Severus.

" _The corporal Patronus, commonly thought to be the spirit animal of the caster has, in_ _recent years, shown to be the physical manifestation of the desires of the caster. The subject of the caster's deepest desire and hope for what he or she may embody is the true meaning behind the corporal animal."_ Mis read aloud, Snape staring up at her profile, looking as if he wanted tothrottle her judging by the way his fists were clenched and the pinch of his lips. Mis snorted humorlessly. "Just give Hermione the freakin' A, you goddamn grump, that's sounds like it could've been a textbook." Mis said, waving her hand at Severus dismissively as she left the desk to sit in a cozy red chair not far from it. "Thank you Miss Holtzer, your insight is dizzying in its brilliance. What the fuck could I, a bloody professor at the greatest wizarding school in the western speaking world know when compared to a 17 year-old American muggle? Oh do educate

and charm me with thine genius once again…impertinent goddamn harpy." He muttered with contempt. The Dark Lord turned to watch the girl, expecting her to at least look wounded by Severus's harsh words, but Artemis merely smiled pleasantly as she picked up a colorful novel that was resting on the side table next to her red chair.

"Hey, _Professor,_ remember when you came up with that adorable little riddle about the potion bottles? You know, the one that was _intended_ to protect the philosophers stone?" Artemis asked, causing something to jolt in the Dark Lord's stomach at that memory of his own. The girl was however, quite at her ease and casually flipped open the book and began reading. "Hermione solved it in about 2 minutes…when she was 11…after Quirrel did…while under the threat of imminent death…in a skirt…I can go on if my point isn't clear." She said nonchalantly.

"As a matter a fact, Holtzer, I do fail to see your point." Severus grit out from behind clenched teeth. Artemis snorted.

"Then allow me to clarify, Hermione Granger as been owning this entire fucking school since day one, if anyone deserves an A, it's her." Artemis answered, not taking her eyes from her book.

"I would curse the man who marries you, and your future children would it not be for the fact that your mere presence is a curse in and of itself." Severus answered smoothly. Mis smirked.

"One insult point for you, Snape, that was a good one. I'd try and outsmart you, but Hermione already did it for me… back when she was 11." She said smugly, clearly proud of her own joke.

"I hope you die in a fire." Severus answered simply.

"Fire cannot kill a dragon." Artemis retorted.

" _Most people are other people. Their thoughts someone else's opinions, their lives a_ _mimicry, their passions a quotation._ " Severus answered her back.

"How do you know I didn't come up with that myself?" She asked as if offended. "Because I've just read A Song of Fire and Ice, you twit." He muttered absently, making

a scratching sound with his quill as he marked the essay he was grading. Artemis looked up from her book and watched him as he graded, a devilish smirk on her face.

"Give Hermione an A plus or I'll spoil the whole damn thing. I'm up to book five and I can ruin. your. life." The girl said, thrilled with her own cleverness. Severus slowly looked up at her, a look of pure disdain on his face.

"There's a special place in hell for people like you, right next to Hitler and the people who think the best Beatles album is the White Album." Severus said with a resigned kind of hatred. "You know, if you'd've said the best was Revolver or Rubber Soul, you'd be wrong, but at least I could respect that opinion." He said cuttingly. Mis snorted.

"God, are you still harping on about that? I'm sorry I'm not some geek that thinks Hard Day's Night is the best album, go eat some quinoa, you hipster scum." She said.

Severus didn't dignify that with a response, and they fell into an effortless silence. The Dark Lord felt as though his insides were aflame, and it caused his hands to shake. He knew logically that he ought to be angry, he should be enraged by this fire, the girl's fire inside of him, consuming him but he couldn't find the anger. The contentment she exuded was too strong, and he couldn't fight it. The soft rise and fall of her shoulders, the smell of lemongrass, the comfortable crackle of the fire and her love for it all was insurmountable. His mind hated it, but

his body felt glorious. She was like a shelter all around him, and he found that the fire had no desire to harm, it only wanted to share its warmth. He knew that when this feeling passed, he would rage at himself for being swayed like a young tree, caught up in a wind that was far outside of his control or prediction, for being coaxed by this viper's current. Yet at that moment, the future was only a vague concept and he intended to soak in this feeling because it was warm and calm and the Dark Lord wasn't opposed to hedonism.

The feeling was abruptly ripped from him, and it was like a shock to his lungs, as if they'd grown used to deep breaths and then suddenly been squeezed too tight. He felt rage poison his body, feeling it gather and spread, first for allowing her warmth to charm him and second for her warmth being taken away. He was in a bright hallway, the walls a clean grayish color and the ambiance warm and inviting. Severus was holding Artemis by the shoulders, looking down at her with a pained expression.

"Snape, there's only one thing you can do when chaos laughs at you…" She said, with a joking sternness. Severus gave her a look that indicated he'd heard this before, and he wasn't thrilled to be hearing it again.

"Laugh back?" He answered mildly. Artemis's face widened into a smile the Severus couldn't seem to distance himself from entirely as he allowed a very small smile curl his own lips in response to it.

"Exactly." She replied with a nod. "Besides, there are worse things than being a horcrux, I'm sure, I'm mean right…I don't fucking know." She said with a good-natured chuckle. "Hey, bright side though, he can't kill me if I've got his soul attached to mine. Tommy isn't that stupid, I mean, that'd be the ultimate act of cutting off your nose to spite your face, right?" She said, clapping him on the back bracingly. The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes, confused and disturbed.

"Why are you doing this, Holtzer? This doesn't have to be your fight." Snape said, his voice strangely tender as he considered the girl before him. She smiled a little sadly.

"Harry's been through enough, Snape. If I can take the bit of Voldemort's soul out of him..."

The Dark Lord stopped listening to the girl as his mind whirled with what she'd just said. Potter is a horcrux? No, he _was_ a horcrux, but he wasn't anymore. His little viper had taken his soul out of Potter and taken it into herself...somehow. His mind twisted and spun as he tried to process this new development. This must be why he was receiving her memories, she'd successfully taken his soul and attached it to her own. Then one thought broke away from his frenzied mind, like a spark that kindled a blaze. She was already his. They were tied forever, their bond was stronger now than any other constructed by god or man. She could never escape him now, she was his, and she'd become so willingly. He didn't consider that this move of hers was deliberate, whatever the reason, she was his...now and forever. No matter where she ran, he would be able to find her, his little viper was cornered, and that thought made the Dark Lord smile.


	20. Everything has a Language

**Hello everyone, sorry that I've taken so long to update, lots of stuff happening in 'real' life. I'm back, and I want to thank you all for hanging in with me. This chapter is the beginning of sh!t getting real, so buckle up y'all. The next chapter is already in the works and I'll try and get it out asap.**

 **Commie: Keep doing you, man (woman, being, entity). I hope you like the chapter!**

 **OliverNox: To answer your first question, I wouldn't say it makes much of a difference to Tom, he already knew that Mis had information about him, so this is just him finding out _how_ she knew. Second question, haha, all in good time. Third question, Mis's family is perfectly safe because they are in a different universe altogether. The pin that Mrs. Weber gave Mis allowed her to travel the multi-verse so to speak, so rest assured that Mis's family and Tommy are extremely unlikely to cross paths. Thanks so much for reading, and asking questions! I love answering them!**

 **vballnikig: Thank you so much, I'm sorry that I suck at updating.**

 **SushiZombie: Oh my beloved SushiZombie, I'm so glad you caught the Jane Eyre references, it's one of my favorite books too! I'm so happy that you're liking the playlist, as I'm sure you (and everyone else) has gathered, I'm somewhat obsessed with music and I love putting references in wherever I can squeeze 'em, sometime's I even find myself developing pages of dialogue just to make one reference, lol, it's a labor of love though. You're reviews are so encouraging and I truly hope you like this chapter!**

 **JJ: Hello sweet summer child, you're a pure ray of sunshine and I can't say how much I love reading your reviews! I love love love reading your reactions to the chapter, and I'm honestly blown away by how sweet you are. Thank you so much, and enjoy this chapter!**

 **p.s. the puppet pals thing had me laughing, and gave me an idea that will come up in chapter 21 :)**

 **Disclaimer: you have no idea how much I hate writing these...ugh, I don't freaking own Harry Potter.**

 **My grammar/spelling sucks, don't hate me.**

Chapter 20: Everything has a Language

"Mis, love? you ok? anything I can get you?" Sirius asked with concern. Mis closed her eyes, and prayed for patience. She breathed deeply then picked up a small strawberry from the bowl in front of her and threw it into her mouth, not really enjoying it's sweetness as it was mostly a means to quell her annoyance. She was trying not to hold Sirius's fussing against him, but it was growing harder by the hour.

"I love you more than all the stars in the goddamn sky, Sirius, but if you ask me that one more time, I'm going to stuff you into the CuisineArt, set it to puree and feed you to Peaches." Mis answered him evenly, slowly biting down on another strawberry for emphasis. Sirius looked distinctly un-chastized as he held up his hands in mock surrender and Mis had the suspicion that he would ask her again in another thirty seconds.

 _"I have no desire to eat the one who's air tastes of canine."_ Peach hissed softly from where she was coiled around Mis's wrist. Every time the snake spoke, Mis felt a little shock go through her body at being able to understand it, and she wondered when she would get used to hearing the soft, whispering language. Mis righted herself and looked down at the small greenish snake.

 _"I'm only kidding, I wouldn't feed him to you…you'd probably get sick, I don't know if he has worms or that dog disease that other animals can get, what's it called? Parvo or something?"_ Mis replied with a smirk in Sirius's direction. Sirius looked very unamused.

"Mis, it is profoundly disturbing for me when you speak in Parsle-tongue." He reminded her in a clipped tone. Mis would easily admit that she was more than a little disturbed by it herself, though, she reasoned, that suddenly being able to speak an unlearnable language was more cool than disturbing…plus Sirius reaction to it was extremely amusing.

 _"Never tell a shark when you're bleeding."_ She replied in a sign-song tone. Sirius shuddered visibly. Peaches made a small noise of amusement as she relaxed her small head on Mis's hand and closed her black, dewy eyes.

"Probably shouldn't have said that." Sirius muttered to himself, realizing his mistake too late. It was never a good idea to show Mis something she could exploit for her own entertainment, because she undoubtably would. Mis laughed brightly.

"Oh, finally catching on are ya?" She said, smirking.

"I'm taking back the flowers I gave you." He warned her. Mis gasped and looked appalled.

"You will not! I love heather, and I have expressly forbade it from ever dying. I'm fairly confident it'll listen…I said it very sternly." She replied with conviction. Sirius couldn't help but allow a small smile to curl his lips. She was a devil, but sometimes, if she was so inclined, she could be a sweet one. A tap at the window caused Mis to check the wall clock mounted above it. It was just after 11 in the morning, and thus the daily barrage of well wishes were due. During Mis's catatonia, she received a multitude of care packages and flowers, some from Order members she had yet to meet. Apparently regardless of the fact that she was awake and recovering well, people still felt the need to send her things. Not that she was complaining, she loved getting gifts and she especially loved getting flowers. Sirius groaned as he looked around the kitchen. Flowers of all sorts were taking over Grimmauld Place, the kitchen table itself had five vases full of sunflowers, daisies and carnations all in shades of pink, yellow and white.

"Can you call this off, please? Tell people to stop sending these bloody weeds. I can't escape the pollen in this godforsaken house." Sirius said crossly, pointing to his pink, watery eyes and sniffly nose. Mis ignored him pointedly, and instead went to the window. She stood on her tip toes to unlatch the window and opened it, allowing a massive, black feathered owl to fly inside and land on the table. Mis gave the bird a nervous look as he had a rather angry countenance, and she had the feeling that he was about three seconds away from attacking both Sirius and herself out of sheer agitation. Mis didn't recognize the owl, and she watched hesitantly as he dropped a bundle wrapped in white tissue paper on the kitchen table. Sirius stood up from his seat slowly, and stepped back when the owl gave him a cross hoot.

"Who sent these?" Sirius said sharply, though he, like Mis was keen to give the huge owl a wide birth. Mis shrugged at him and, plucking up courage, slid her bowl of strawberries across the table in the bird's direction as an act of goodwill. Thankfully, the owl seemed pleased at the development and bent its large, black head to gobble three whole in quick succession.

"Get it out of here." Sirius said, trying not to move his lips as if the bird could read them.

"Are you crazy? I'm not screwing with that thing, he looks like he's on freakin' owl steroids." She said in outrage.

"What happened to the goddamn owl whisperer, I thought you spoke the language of the birds?!" Sirius demanded in a murderous whisper.

"Do I look like the figurehead of the Argo to you?!" Mis demanded back, though trying to keep her voice muted. Sirius fluttered his eyes closed as if about to have a coronary.

"What the hell does that even mean?" He asked, making his voice simultaneously philosophical and peeved. Mis furrowed her brows and the tension unconsciously left her body.

"Jason's ship, the Argo…" She said waving her hand as if that would make him recognize her reference. He gave her a blank stare. "Come on…" She said encouragingly. "The Argo had a figured head at the front of it carved from oak out of Dodona's grove. It could speak the Language of the Birds." Mis explained, forgetting about the situation at hand.

"Is this a lecture, Mis? Because I don't remember signing up for the bloody course on Greek Mythology." He grit out from between his teeth, thoroughly annoyed with her. Mis heard a small clinking sound and looked to find the huge owl scraping it's beak against the ceramic bowl previously full of strawberries. Having eaten the last one, his massive wings fluttered in a blur of black and Mis threw her arms over her head instinctually as the owl vacated the kitchen through the window. Mis peaked out through her arms, and seeing that the bird was gone, straighten up and went to inspect the bowl.

"Greedy bastard." She muttered. Sirius rolled his eyes at Mis's priorities, and reached across the table to the small bouquet of flower wrapped delicately in white tissue. Mis looked up as Sirius unwrapped the flowers, and his expression went strange…almost offended. They were roses, deep orange and lavender colored, looking like a sunset. No one had given her roses. She knit her brows as she walked over to stand next to Sirius and inspect the flowers more closely. She spotted a scroll nestled carefully in the very center of the roses, and felt a strange sense of foreboding as she plucked it from the bouquet with slightly trembling hands. Sirius leaned closer to read the unrolled scroll along with Mis.

 _Like as a huntsman after weary chase,_

 _Seeing the game from him escap'd away,_

 _Sits down to rest him in some shady place,_

 _With panting hounds beguiled of their prey:_

 _So after long pursuit and vain assay,_

 _When I all weary had the chase forsook,_

 _The gentle deer return'd the self-same way,_

 _Thinking to quench her thirst at the next brook._

 _There she beholding me with milder look,_

 _Sought not to fly, but fearless still did bide:_

 _Till I in hand her yet half trembling took,_

 _And with her own goodwill her firmly tied._

 _Strange thing, me seem'd, to see a beast so wild,_

 _So goodly won, with her own will beguil'_ _d._

Mis felt as though she just leaned back in a chair too far and experienced that moment of fear when realizing that it was going to fall backwards, only it wasn't just a moment. Generally, the sensation ends when the body in the chair lunges forward to thump it back to its solid state of four legs on the floor. Mis was frozen in the moment of teetering on two legs, and feeling that permeating fear flood her body like a shock of ice-water through her limbs. Her heart stuttered twice as her body tried to catch up to what her brain had just realized, then it began to pound. She knew who had sent the flowers.

"Mis…who are these from?" Sirius asked in a whisper. Mis swallowed.

"They're from Tom…" She replied in a detached voice. "Edmund Spencer again…" She said, lightly tossing the scroll on the table. Mis heard Sirius make a noise, like a gasp of fear. Mis didn't like that sound, and it immediately switched on the part of her brain that lit up when she knew someone was hurt or afraid…thankfully it shut down her own internal panic. She looked up at Sirius, who had his mouth covered with one hand while still clutching the flowers in the other. His grey eyes horrified and transfixed as he stared at the beautiful roses. Very gently, Mis took the flowers from his hand and set them on the table, before grasping both of Sirius's hands and turning him to look at her. He looked down at her with an expression of pure fear.

"It's ok, Sirius…it could have been a lot worse…He's just letting me know that he knows what I did. The poem is a little uh…threatening, I'll grant…but it's not dangerous. I'm the deer, he's the hunter having given up the chase, only to find the deer he was hunting come to taunt him by drinking right next to where he's resting, but the hunter isn't angry about it, he's…impressed." She explained, trying to sound distanced from the poem, as if she were merely analyzing it for an English Lit class.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Sirius said, shaking his head in confusion. Mis snorted humorlessly.

"Would you prefer it if I ran through the house, flailing my arm's and shrieking like Kermit the frog?" She asked him mildly. "Someone has to keep their shit together." She said with a shrug. Sirius shook his head, almost angrily.

"I should be the one telling you it'll be ok." He said bitterly. " _I_ should be the one trying to keep _you_ together, not the other way around."

Mis smiled at him and raised her hand to brush a lock of wavy black hair behind his ear, then cup his cheek.

"You do keep me together, Lassie. If I had to go into the trenches, you're the first person I'd ask to watch my back. I don't ever want you to think that you don't help me, because you do." She said, tender and stern at the same time. His stone grey eyes flickered with affection at Mis. She patted his cheek and dropped his hand.

"Alrighty, looks like I have a letter to write." Mis mumbled in annoyance. Sirius looked at her sharply.

"What? Why?" He asked, looking down at the roses as if they were extremely offensive.

"Because, unlike him, I actually possess manners. Besides, it'll be funny." Mis said, the thought of mischief suddenly making her feel a little better about the situation.

"Mis, this is not something to play with…I forbid it." Sirius said, but Mis held up a hand to silence him firmly.

"I understand you're worried, Sirius, and I love you for it, but please consider two things…" She said evenly. "First, this is why I'm here…I can't hide from him, and this is as good a chance as any to establish contact…" Mis explained, keeping her dark eyes steady before they shifted to a fiery crackle. "…and second, and mark me on this…the day I let _anyone_ forbid me to do _anything_ is the same day the good preacher man sends me up to meet Jesus. I know what I have to do now, and nothing is going to stop me…not even you." She said defiantly. She folded her arms. "Now the way I see it, you've got two options, you can either sulk or you can help me write this ridiculous letter." She said with a shrug. Sirius pinched his lips and huffed hard through his nose like an angry horse.

"Merlin, I'm too old for this…" He said rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms.

"And I'm too young for it, look at that…it all evens out in the end." She said with a smirk. Sirius groaned.

"Ok, none of you are helping." Mis said, completely fed up with the babbling that was surrounding her. Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy were seated across from Remus, Sirius and herself at the kitchen table, and with every word that was spoken by her four companions she could feel lunacy attempting to wheedle its way into her brain.

"Miss Holtzer, please heed my advice, be proper and concise…" Mr. Malfoy said primly.

"The letter shouldn't be sent at all. Provoking the Dark Lord is foolish Luci." Mrs. Malfoy said, cutting off her husband mid-sentence.

"Ignoring him would provoke him more, it's better to send the letter." Remus said, rubbing his brow to relieve the headache that was forming. Mrs. Malfoy bit her lip and nodded as she realized Remus was correct. Mis looked up from the blank piece of paper in front of her, and pointed her pen at Mr. Malfoy first.

"I'm neither proper nor concise, Goldilocks, and quit calling me Miss Holtzer, it always makes me feel like I'm in trouble or something…" She said trying to reign in her acid tone, but not quite managing. She pointed her pen at Mrs. Malfoy. "…and not sending it isn't an option." She said crisply. Mrs. Malfoy sighed and nodded again.

"He sent you poetry, did he not? Why not respond with poetry?" Mr. Malfoy offered. That idea had already crossed Mis's mind, but Mis had turned it away thinking perhaps that was what he was expecting…Or maybe it was a double bluff, and he wanted her to think that was what he wanted because he knew she'd go in the opposite direction. Mis's brain was starting to hurt. Mis growled at herself and gripped her scalp roughly as if literally trying to pull out her hair.

"No! He's screwing with me, he knows this drives me crazy. If I'm gonna play the game, I've gotta one up him…He sent me subtle erotic poetry…and I'm gonna send him a fucking excerpt from Tropic of Cancer and pray to god he chokes on it so we can all just get on with our lives!" Mis said, slamming her hand on the table. There was a somewhat maniacal glee in Mis's dark eyes that made everyone a little uneasy, and the chuckle that followed caused everyone to become downright anxious. Mis straightened up and cracked her neck and shoulders. "This fool doesn't know who the fuck he's messing with." She said smugly, hunching over the paper and beginning to write furiously.

"Remus, do us all a favor…call Severus and tell him to get his arse over here before Mis screws herself six ways from Sunday." Sirius said very calmly. Remus nodded, but knew that it was already a lost cause.

"Ok, where is she?" Snape asked blandly the moment the door opened to reveal Sirius Black, who was looking quite frazzled.

"In the kitchen, for Merlin's sake do something…" Sirius said, stepping out of the way to let Snape in. "I think she's going to send Voldemort a dirty letter!" He raged though his voice was muted. Snape paused in the hallway and looked back at Sirius who was red faced and looked about ready to fall over out of sheer horror. Snape blinked twice.

"Did I hear that correctly or am I finally having the stroke I've been praying for?" Snape asked, not even bothering to sound shocked.

"Fucksake, The owl's in the bloody kitchen now, Malfoy playing interference but she's got more determination than him…Talk her out of it!" Sirius said, restraining himself from shaking the other man roughly.

"Bloody hell…" Snape said, huffing as he turned away to storm into the kitchen. The sight that he met from the doorway was…surreal to say the least.

"Give it back this instant or I'll switch your shampoo with Nair, Rapunzel!" Mis shouted, standing on the kitchen table bench and hanging onto Mr. Malfoy's back as he stretched his hand containing a small folded piece of paper as far away from her as physically possible.

"Cissa! Are you going to assist me or just stand there?!" Mr. Malfoy demanded of his wife, as Mis tried to reach the letter in his hand.

"To be entirely honest, dear, I'm rather enjoying the show." Mrs. Malfoy answered, as she stood at the opposite side of the table a china cup of tea in her hand which she sipped at mildly. Remus opted to stand at the opposite end of the kitchen, keeping out of the scuffle and wearing a weary expression that Snape was sympathetic to.

"Miss Holtzer! Is this any way for a young lady to behave?" Mr. Malfoy asked with aristocratic indignation as Mis leapt onto his back like a very irate spider monkey.

"Artemis Holtzer!" Snape boomed, causing the girl and everyone else in the room to freeze in place and look at him. "What in the blue fuck of ages are you doing?!" Snape exclaimed, his arms held slightly up. Mis cleared her throat, but didn't drop from Mr. Malfoy's back.

"I'm trying to send a letter, what does it look like?" Mis said sarcastically.

"Listen to the small, still voice, Holtzer…listen to it for your own good." Snape said in a way that sounded both like a warning and a plea. She snorted.

"Not a chance…Voldemort thinks he can out-creep me, he's got another thing coming…I can creep with the best of 'em." She said her voice strained and jostling as Mr. Malfoy tried to shake her off.

"I cannot help but wonder at the fact that never in my strangest dreams did I ever expect to hear such a statement." Snape said absently, narrowing eyes in confusion as he stared into the middle distance. Mis snorted again.

"Just add it to the list and move on, Snape." Mis said impatiently. Mr. Malfoy then executed a rather impressive dodge that effectively loosened Mis's grasp on him, and allowed him to get away. If the circumstances hadn't been so serious, Snape might've smirked at Mr. Malfoy's deranged looking hair and his askew clothes as he faked left and sidestepped right to fool Mis, and cause her to lose her footing. He then scuttled to where Snape was standing and handed him the letter before standing behind him, trying to look as though he wasn't cowering behind the potions master away from the small girl.

Snape held up his hand not holding the letter in a halt gesture as Mis came barreling towards him. She had the good sense to not pull that climbing act on Snape; she knew the potions master wouldn't hold back just because she was a girl. Mis breathed out heavily, slightly winded.

"Gimme the letter, Snape." She said, in the voice everyone recognized as the dangerous one. Snape was unmoved by her threatening tone, he opted to just give her a level look.

"Holtzer…you bloody well know this isn't a good idea, I'm trying to help you." Snape said reasonably, watching her blazing dark eyes as she tried to figure out how to get what she wanted. She was too worked up to heed any strategy Snape realized a moment later. Mis crossed her arms and looked up at Snape.

"Ok, despite that fact that this is no one's business but my own, I'm gonna favor you all by breaking this down real quick. I've got a piece of Voldemort's soul sewn onto mine, and I can feel it sucking my life force out as we speak. That little _bitch_ gave me another Spencer poem, and I'm giving him an Artemis Holtzer original… _and_ this is the first time since seeing those _cursed_ memories that I've felt halfway normal." She said like a kindergarten teacher explaining addition to a group a five-year olds. Snape closed his eyes and rubbed his temple while everyone, in the room watched him and waited for him to make the next move.

"Ok, ok, Holtzer, just shut up a moment if you can…I'm going to read this, no doubt, pestilential letter, and if I don't vomit on the spot…you may send it." Snape said compromisingly. Mis twitched her nose in agitation, but figured this was the best deal she would get.

"Fine…"She said waving her airily. "…but fair warning, if Prince were here to read it, he'd probably tell me to tone down the sexuality…I may have been a little heavy handed."

 _Dear Tommy,_

 _Your attempt to woo me is so pathetic that I felt the need to give you a small insight into myself out of pity. Though, I doubt it'll be of any use to you…you're not very adept at using information to your benefit, nor are you very good at taking orders, are you? I can't really fault you there, I'm not very good at taking order myself. For example, I bet you'd love to hear me beg in a weak, stuttering voice, my face all flushed, my eyes wide and pleading but still little hesitant. You'd be triumphant to know that I've never done anything with any other man, you're the first to touch me or taste me. You'd chuckle and force me to say what was making me so needy._

 _Can you hear me saying_ _"Please…my Lord." Softly? You can, can't you? Well, I suggest you cherish this little fantasy I've constructed for you, because hell will freeze over before it becomes reality. I'll be a pale corpse before you hear me beg, Tommy. I'm no docile deer, taunting a hunter who's given up the chase. I'm a little viper right? We both know that vipers do not tame as other creatures will. In conclusion, you can go eat a bag of dicks and have a nice day._

 _A. R. Holtzer_

 _P.S._

 _Instead of killing someone today, why don't you just get yourself a nice hobby? It'd certainly make my life a lot easier. I hear crocheting can help with anger management if you need somewhere to start._

"I would suggest removing the part about telling the Dark Lord to 'eat a bag of dicks' but I have a suspicion that you're too fond to omit it." Snape muttered as he placed the letter on the table as if it were somehow toxic.

"Very astute observation, Snape." Mis answered with a respectful nod. Snape pinched the bridge of his nose as he was prone to when he was having difficulty understanding his own reality.

"Reading that may have taken five years off my life expectancy." He said shaking his head with his eyes closed. He looked up at Mis. "Send it if you must, Holtzer, but if I hear one word that indicates regret of this later, I will reign hell down upon you, secure in the knowledge that I will no longer suffer through another one of your bloody schemes." Snape said darkly, meeting her dark eyes with his own steadily.

"Just gimme the damn letter already." Mis said, tapping her foot and holding out her hand impatiently.

"Holtzer…"

"No, Snape!" Mis said, cutting him off. "I'm done listening!" She said acidly. Snape stared into her eyes a little taken aback by the harshness in her tone. He saw something he hadn't noticed upon walking into the kitchen. There was a brittle look in her eyes that spoke of an insidious kind of pain. It was the kind of pain that made whoever had it turn desperate for something to relieve it. Snape was well acquainted with that feeling, and something inside him squeezed at seeing it in Mis's eyes. Snape took the letter, stood up, and walked closer to the girl. She was searching for something, anything to make the cold inside her thaw, if only for a moment, and if only for something trivial.

"Will sending this make you feel better?" Snape asked holding up the letter and using the gentle voice that he reserved for her alone. Mis felt her eyes sting a bit, and she realized she was stupid to think that Snape wouldn't see through her, he always did. Her body simply had too many emotions for her to contain and Snape saw that clear as crystal. She wiped the back of her hand against her eyes roughly.

"It's worth a shot, I could really use a laugh." Mis said with a humorless snort. Such a strange little thing she was, Snape thought to himself. There was a struggle going on behind her eyes, and pain was simmering beneath them like boiling metal and all she wanted was a laugh. Snape looked into her eyes, and he felt a pull in his heart, it took him a moment to realize what the feeling was since it was so foreign. He wanted to hold her or touch some part of her, he wanted to comfort her. Merlin, but he loved that stupid girl, and he didn't even bother to be annoyed or frightened by it anymore. He'd never had a chance against her because her heart had always had the same refrain from the moment they met. _Let me love you._ Soft and fierce at the same time. Snape took a step forward, took her hand in his and placed the letter there. He closed her fingers around it.

"You're an idiot, Holtzer, but if this'll make you feel better…I'll be damned if I'm the one who tells you no." He said, offering her a half smile. Let the girl laugh at the absurdity of it all, Snape thought, might as well find humor where she could. Mis gave him a gentle look.

"How do you always know?" She asked him. Snape nearly chuckled.

"I'll tell you someday…" He replied softly. Mis wondered what that meant, but didn't press him and instead offered him a grateful smile.

"Hold the fuck on." Sirius chimed in, coming to stand in front of Mis and Snape. He gave Snape a look of annoyance. "I called you here to stop her, not give her your goddamn blessing!" Sirius said in outrage. Snape pinched his lips and looked at Sirius pointedly.

"Talk some sense into her, Black… I dare you." He replied is his halting, disdainful voice.

"Why must I be the voice of reason here?!" Sirius demanded of the room at large.

"Oh _do_ shut up…you're worried, you're not the fucking voice of reason. Holtzer wants to do it, so it will be done with or without any of our consent. Our job is not to tell her what to do, our job is to advise her, and offer our support no matter what choice she makes." Snape said calmly, so calm it seemed to cause Sirius even greater annoyance.

"She's acting like a lunatic! I just want her to be safe!" Sirius raged waving his arms around wildly, clearly convinced that he was still the only one with a modicum of sanity.

"It was her bloody lunacy that saved you, and Dumbledore, and The Malfoy's and your precious godson. She may be a lunatic, but she's the most effective one I've ever had the good fortune to know!" Snape bellowed right back.

Mis felt a blaze flare up in her chest, warming her all the way through, driving away the cold of Tom's soul for a blessed moment. She didn't have words for the affection she felt looking at Snape's pale, thin face, and the steady burn of his coal black eyes. Maybe others looked at his eyes and saw darkness, and nothing but the black color, but she saw the night sky. Stars and all the good things that come into focus when nighttime comes, peace and the promise that she'd be able to rest from the day. She was almost taken aback by the strength of her feelings. God, but she loved that asshole.

After Mis sent the letter, Sirius didn't talk to her for two days, using Remus, Mr. Malfoy and Mrs. Malfoy as vehicles for communication if needed. Mis wasn't angry at him though, she understood that he was just worried and thought she was being reckless, which she admitted was partially true…but what he didn't realized was that this was a strategic move. She wasn't being reckless for the sake of being reckless, she had to get to Tom and this was the only way that had occurred to her. She needed him to respond to her in some way, she had to get a reaction, any reaction. This was the first step to communication with him. Perhaps there were better ways…there were definitely better ways, but Mis liked this one…at least it was amusing.

"Mis what do you need for tonight?" Sirius asked, walking into the kitchen. Mis was helping Mr. Malfoy with Saturday night dinner, most of the order was coming as was now the tradition of Saturdays. She stopped chopping onions and turned around with both eyebrows raised.

"Oh, so you're talking to me again?" She asked, smirking. Sirius crossed his arms, and avoided looking directly at her.

"I forgive you, even though you haven't apologized." Sirius said imperiously. Mis snorted, and nodded.

"Thanks…" She replied with an eye roll. "And you should talk to Mr. Malfoy, I'm just the second in command here." She said with a laugh.

"Artemis…those need to be _minced_ , dearest, not hacked at…try for a little precision." Mr. Malfoy said, coming to inspect her work with a stern expression. Mis felt her eye twitch.

"Whatever, man. They're small, ok? What's the difference?" Mis asked. Mr. Malfoy raised his eyebrow at her.

"See dear, this is your problem…" He said, gesturing to the air around her. "You're not serious about the craft." He said as if he were imparting some immeasurable wisdom to her.

"Don't bring me into this." Sirius said smirking. Mis rolled her eyes.

"Didn't I tell you? That word is off limits now…we can never use it again, he'll make a goddamn joke out of it, even if it makes no sense." Mis said, pointing to Sirius. Mr. Malfoy sighed, then perked up abruptly.

"Oh, did you say you were going to the market? I've prepared a list…" Mr. Malfoy said pleasantly, retrieving a rather long bit of folded parchment from the pocket of his red waistcoat. Sirius took it hesitantly and read it.

"I can't pronounce half of the things on here." Sirius muttered crossly.

"Color me shocked, Mr. Black." Mr. Malfoy replied with a degree of sass Mis envied. She coughed to hide a laugh. Sirius glared at her.

"What?" She asked, trying to look innocent. "It's the onion fumes…got stuck in my throat for a second there." Mis said, waving the supposed fumes away from herself and fighting back a smile.

"Lucius, please inform Mis that I'm not speaking to her again." Sirius said pointedly. Mr. Malfoy turned to Mis.

"Mr. Black wishes for me to inform you that he is not speaking to you." Mr. Malfoy said blandly.

"Come on, Sirius, you laugh when Mr. Malfoy makes fun of me too." Mis said with a smirk. Sirius stuck his nose in the air, and turned away. Mis sighed. "Mr. Malfoy, please say something deprecating about me, so Sirius can get over himself." Mis said, waving her hand at Mr. Malfoy in a 'hurry up' gesture.

"You follow instructions as well as a troll's halfwitted cousin." The aristocratic man offered easily.

"There ya see, I'm a troll's halfwitted cousin…does that make you feel better?" Mis asked Sirius. Sirius looked down at her contemplatively, before his face broke into a grin.

"I guess that works." He said. Mis rolled her eyes and smiled, before she caught Sirius in a quick farewell hug.

"Quit buying junk food, I have zero self control and Mad-eye'll tan my hide if I keep eating it." She said sternly. She gave him a peck on the cheek. He kissed her on the forehead, grabbed his coat and headed out with Remus, who promised to decipher Mr. Malfoy's list to the best of his ability.

Mis worked in the kitchen with Mr. Malfoy for several more hours, him ordering her around and barking at her to peel faster, dice cleaner, "and for Merlin's sake, Artemis, tie your hair back! I won't have fallen bits of you in my creations." Despite common belief, Mis was good at taking orders when she wanted to, and helping Mr. Malfoy was something she actually liked, even if he was a bit of a tyrant.

At about 10 til 7 in the evening, Order members began arriving, the Weasley's, Tonks, Mad-eye, Dumbledore, Hermione, Harry, Draco and Snape, the latter two looking as if they were dragged there quite against their will. Mis was overjoyed to see Hermione and Ginny, as living in a house with three males, and one distinctly proper woman didn't lend itself to much girl time. At the mention of anything indicating that Mis was, in fact, a normal red-blooded female of 17, they would all but cover their ears like children blocking out swear words. They'd nearly fainted at the offhanded comment Mis made about being a slut for a good smolder. The only reason she hadn't received a lecture from the resident guardian of virtue, Mr. Malfoy, was because she quickly explained that it was just an expression, and swore that it wasn't literal. Mis relayed the story to both girls as they sat alone in the kitchen while everyone else caught up in the living room, and she was happy to have them roaring with laughter by the end of it.

"I could've guessed Mr. Malfoy would be a bit of a stick in the mud, you simply cannot look that put together all the time and not have some anal retentive tendencies." Ginny stated, still snorting slightly. Mis laughed, and Hermione and Ginny shared a smile.

"I'm so glad you're feeling better, we were all really worried." Hermione said kindly, placing her on top of Mis's and squeezing it briefly. Mis smiled at both of them, thankful that they were there to help drown out some of the cold that perpetually bled from Tom's soul into her own. Hermione must've noticed something off in Mis's smile, because she gave her a concerned look.

"How are you really, Mis? You know we're here if you need to talk." Hermione said gently. Mis felt her smile falter against her will.

"I'm ok when you're all here, the cold goes away, but never far…as soon as I have a moment of quiet I can feel it creep back." Mis said, rubbing her hand over the top of her chest absently.

"I can't even imagine that, having to always be so close to something so evil." Hermione said, shaking her head. Mis was about to reply but Ginny beat her to it.

"It's not quite like that, 'Mione. The diary didn't feel evil, per say, more angry and sad, and he really had a way of making it seem like he understood you." Ginny said, her pretty brown eyes going distant and troubled at the memory. Mis nodded.

"I get how he could make it seem like he understood, but he doesn't. He understands very little, he's just clever about hiding it." Mis said with a humorless snort. "You know what scares me? That I understand him now. There's no mystery left, it was so much simpler when I just knew him as the bad guy, but now…he's not just the bad guy anymore, there's a life that he lived before he was cruel. It's just too much, I hate him and I want to help him, and I hate myself for wanting to help him." Mis said, her voice quaking a bit as she spoke. Ginny linked her arm with Mis's and gave her a fierce look full of affection. Mis swallowed down the tremble on her lips and rested her head on Ginny's shoulder as Hermione sidled up closer to Mis and put an arm around her waist.

"You know what I think, Mis?" Hermione asked gently. "I think the best parts of us as humans manifest when we have a goal to help others, no matter who they may be. We can all agree he doesn't deserve it, and we also know that a vast amount of evidence dictates that this whole thing is highly unlikely to work…but…but maybe that's not the point, maybe it's not the destination, maybe it's the journey." Hermione said, her voice level and proud and wise beyond her sixteen years. She moved away from Mis and gave her a stern look. "And as for hating yourself, I won't have it." She said crossing her arms. "None of us hate you, and I doubt we ever could, if for no other reason than for of all you've done for us, and if not because of that then because you are remarkably difficult to hate." Hermione said in a clipped tone that Mis found tender none the less.

"Of course, Mis. You were there for us before we even knew what in the hell was going on. You've been behind the scenes, pulling everyone closer…We'd never turn our backs on you, that's not what family does." Ginny added with a feisty nod. Mis felt her eyes sting, and not for the first time wondered at how grateful she was to have these people in her life. These people that offered their love so easily, not even able to fathom how precious it was to her.

"You bitches are gonna screw up my mascara." Mis said, half joking. Ginny and Hermione laughed and squeezed her tightly. Mis felt very at home, with a face full of Hermione's bushy brown hair and Ginny's comforting floral smell. Mis looked up at them and smiled, and Hermione seemed to think it was real this time because she smiled back. They broke apart and Ginny clapped her hands.

"Now, I propose we change the subject, because I have something very important to discuss." Ginny said crisply, looking at Mis. Mis chuckled.

"More pressing than Mis's internal crisis?" Hermione asked mildly, with a wry smile. Ginny nodded soberly.

"Who gave you the purple lilacs on the table in the hall?" Ginny asked like a police investigator. Mis thought about it a minute.

"I think Remus did…"

" _What?!"_ Both girls shouted in tandem, nearly making Mis fall off her seat.

"What the hell?" Mis asked in muted confusion before righting herself and narrowing her eyes in thought. "No, no, he gave me the purple iris's…" Mis said nodding along with herself. She fixed both girls with an annoyed stare as they both sighed in relief, Hermione clutching her chest as if she were waiting for her heart to restart.

"I was gonna say…That's a twist." Ginny said, with a snort. Mis furrowed her brows at the redheaded girl. "So who gave you the lilacs?" Ginny demanded. Mis rolled her eyes.

"They're from Draco." She said, so many flowers from so many different people and Mis was having a hard time remembering who gave her what, but she was positive the lilacs had been from Draco now that she thought about it. Sirius had threatened to incinerate them when they'd been dropped by.

"Ah Ha!" Ginny exclaimed. "I bloody knew it!" She said accusatorially pointing at Mis.

"Yeah, so what? Half the wizarding world has sent me flowers at this point, or so it would seem." Mis said.

"I can't believe it." Hermione whispered. Mis looked between the two girls. Hermione looking shocked and Ginny smug.

"Ok, why do I feel like the only one that doesn't get the reference?" Mis asked them. Ginny laughed and gave Mis a pitying look.

"Oh how the tables have turned. It's frustrating when you don't understand what the hell someone is taking about, isn't it?" Ginny taunted, her brown eye sparkling with amusement. Mis bit the inside of her cheek.

"Yes, ok, point made." Mis said impatiently. Ginny giggled gleefully, and Hermione seemed to be stifling a chuckle in the back of her hand.

"All wizards know that flowers have a language, Missy." Ginny said knowingly.

"Huh?" Mis asked, her face entirely cocked to one side in confusion.

"It's true. Wizards and Witches have been using flowers to communicate specific sentiments for centuries. During Queen Vicoria's reign, muggles began embracing it, though it didn't last long, and now flower meanings are hardly known by muggles, though wizards haven't changed." Hermione explained, always keen to give a short history lesson.

"And when a wizard sends purple lilacs, it means something _very_ interesting." Ginny said with a smirk. Mis crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat while looking at Ginny and Hermione suspiciously.

"Ok…" Mis said hesitantly. "So what do purple lilacs mean?" She asked, slightly worried about the answer. Ginny cleared her throat, and checked her nails sassily.

"Purple lilacs are a declaration of love, _first_ love to be more specific." Ginny said, batting her eye lashes. Mis took several moments to process that statement before holding up a finger.

"I call bullshit, you two are just fucking with me…No way, no way in hell." Mis said, entirely unconvinced as she shook her head.

"It's true." Hermione said, holding back a smile. "I've read several etiquette books that list all the flowers and their meanings, and Ginny's right. Purple lilacs are meant to express first love." Hermione said in that know-it-all voice that Mis had had so much affection for only several moments ago, before she decided to drop this bomb on her. Mis looked away from the two girls, and stared ahead of herself blankly.

"Ok, I'll tell you what's not going to happen." She said, her eyes going a little crazy. "I am not going to flip out. I am a goddamn rock of stoicism and fortitude and…like…coolness. That's what I am, I'm just so chill right now, like wow, look at all the chill I have, so much chill. I'm fine…this is all fine." Mis said, waving her hands around herself jerkily and her voice several octaves higher than her normal cadence. Ginny nodded.

"Hmmmm…"She said tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Mrs. Artemis Malfoy…has a certain ring, don't you think?" Ginny asked, just to stoke the flames of Mis's insanity. Mis laughed too loudly to be considered normal. Hermione gave Ginny a level look.

"I'd appreciate it, if you didn't try to break Mis, Ginny. She's obviously clinging to her last thread of stability." Hermione said, watching Mis carefully. Mis went still, as if her body was frozen while her mind went on an out of control merry-go-round of What and Why.

"But he doesn't even know me…How can this be?" Mis finally said, furrowing her brows in utter confusion.

"You saved his life twice, not to mention his mother's life and his father's…people have fallen in love for much less than that." Ginny said, still enjoying herself far too much. Hermione rolled her eyes at Ginny.

"The more important question is how do _you_ feel about him?" Hermione asked. Mis shook her head.

"I don't know, I mean I like him and I think he's cute and all, but…but I can't be with him, or anyone for that matter. I have a job to do, and it means more to me than anything else." Mis said fervently. Ginny and Hermione nodded understandingly.

"Well, that was fun while it lasted. I kinda wish he would've sent something a little more saucy though…I would've loved to see the look on your face if I'd had to explain orange roses or something." Ginny said shrugging. Mis's head whipped around so fast her neck cracked. Ginny looked slightly alarmed by Mis reaction and leaned away from her as if she was worried Mis might attack her. Mis scrambled out of her seat and lunged at the kitchen counter where she'd thrown the roses Tom had sent her earlier that day.

Tripping in her haste, she ran back to the table and flung the flowers in front of the two girls who both had expressions of confused alarm on their faces.

"What do they mean?" Mis demanded, her heart pounding in her chest. Ginny and Hermione looked down at the flowers. Hermione picked them up and turned the lovely bouquet of orange and purple roses in her hand, looking very interested in them.

"Oooo, Mis. Who gave you these? Merlin, that's direct." Ginny muttered, staring at the roses in Hermione's hand.

"What. Do. They. Mean?" Mis demanded again through gritted teeth.

"Orange roses signify intense desire, and possessiveness, but unlike red they don't exactly denote love, more like an obsessive need to…uh…Giving someone orange roses means…well, um…" Hermione stuttered, clearing her throat as her face went slightly pink. Mis narrowed her eyes.

"Oh come off it, 'Mione…it's not embarassing. Whoever sent you these wants to pound you like a cheap steak, Mis." Ginny supplied, rolling her eyes at Hermione's prudishness. Hermione nodded jerkily, looking a little uncomfortable before shaking herself out of it.

"The lavender one's are strange though, not something one would normally combine with orange. They signify enchantment, chaste, pure love and love at first sight. For instance, there are many depictions of Romeo offering a lavender rose to Juliet." Hermione stated in a dry, academic way. Mis felt a flare rear up in the cold shard of soul next to her own, almost as if it knew what they were talking about. It nearly made Mis gasp as the sensation was different than the normal icicle-like stabbing that she'd grown accustomed to. She placed her hand over heart and moved her thumb as if trying to soothe the suddenly feverish shard of Tom's soul wedged there. It was happy, but not in a good way. It felt like a tiger that had just spotted some unsuspecting prey animal to devour, and the feeling didn't sit well with her. Mis swallowed and sat back down and her knees started to feel wobbly.

"Do you guys ever have the feeling that the universe is shooting at your feet just because it like watching you dance and flail like Yosemite Sam?" Mis asked them distantly. Hermione chuckled before catching the serious look on Mis's face.

"Mis?…" Hermione asked tentatively. "Who sent these?"

"Tom…" Mis answered, staring off into space.

"Voldemort?" Ginny said, as if she'd never heard of him before. "Voldemort wants to pound you like a cheap steak?" She asked, very troubled.

"Love at first sight?" Hermione whispered, shaking her head as if nothing was making sense. In times of high stress, Mis had developed the useful ability to detach herself emotionally from a situation if need be.

"Huh…" Mis uttered as if Hermione had just relayed an interesting but arbitrary fact, like butterfly's smell with their feet. "Well, _shiit_ ake mushrooms… I probably shouldn't have sent that letter after all…" Mis said, nodding along with herself mildly. Ginny and Hermione's eyes shot to Mis.

"What letter?" Hermione asked fearfully. Mis closed her eyes and grimaced.

"Ok…so that's why Sirius seemed so pissed, it did seem like he was overreacting a bit…apparently he had a reasonable amount of reaction, and I'm the idiot. I'm just…I'm really not smart. Fuck me on a stick." Mis said without passion.

"Mis, what letter?" Ginny demanded.

"Why do I always stoke the fire? why am I a stoker? I should act like a flame retardant…instead I'm just retarded. In my defense, how the hell was I supposed to know about the flower language? You goddamn wizards, if you got something to say, why not just say it? Why does there always have to be some frickin' underlying meaning to everything?" Mis said rapidly, but more philosophical than troubled. Mis slumped onto the table and put her arms over her head dejectedly. She was vaguely aware that Ginny and Hermione were attempting to rouse her, but she couldn't find the will to give a damn. She was far too busy regretting every action that had led her to the point she was at. Several moments later, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Holtzer, what are you moping about? you're worrying Miss Granger and Miss Weasley." Snape said. Mis made a non committal noise of agony and gestured limply to the roses. She heard Snape's robes rustle beside her as he picked up the flowers. Several heartbeats passed in complete silence, neither Ginny, Hermione, Mis or Snape daring to move. Then Mis heard a noise…a very strange, deep noise. Mis straighten up from her slumped position and saw Snape, holding the flowers in one hand, with the other covering his mouth as if trying to stifle…

"Are you laughing?" Mis asked Snape in awe. He turned away from her, and bent his head while his shoulders shook silently. Mis glanced at Hermione and Ginny wondering if perhaps this was merely some kind of vivid hallucination, but their faces, both seeming very disturbed as they ogled at the potions master, confirmed that this was, in fact, happening. "You dick, you're actually laughing." Mis said though there was no bitterness in her tone, on the contrary, she suddenly felt immensely more optimistic about the situation.

"Oh, Holtzer…I'm not sure if you pissed off some deity, or it is your all encompassing foolishness that leads you to these situations…but if that's not the most horrifyingly amusing bouquet of roses in all of creation, then I'm not a bloody wizard." Snape said, his voice a little choked as he tried to stop chuckling.

"I can count the number of times I've heard you laugh, Snape." Mis said.

"Your point?" He replied, turning back around to look at her, his coal black eyes sparkling and bright. Mis shook her head.

"No point, just an observation." She said simply. Mis shook her head as a small smile curled her lips. Snape had just laughed, genuinely, and somehow that made everything seem better. The world was a place of pain and confusion, and her soul was bound to the soul of the darkest wizard in history. That soul had a chill and a darkness that seemed all encompassing, like it's presence alone was like a shroud over her heart, numbing it to warmth and light…but perhaps, it wasn't as strong as Mis had given it credit for, maybe the situation, however ridiculous and impossible wasn't unfixable. Because surely, if the darkness was as strong as she had thought, it would've been able to block something as little as laughter…but it couldn't. She loved hearing it too much, Snape's laughter was too precious, and nothing could ever take that away…it was hers alone, and Mis considered that to be a very comforting thought. Some things were still sacred, little things, like Snape's laughter…some things were just untouchable.

Mis suddenly realized that everyone was entirely quiet, including Snape who was looking at her steadily, but there was something Mis had never seen in his eyes before. His eyes had a heat, mirage-like ripples above burning coal, and for the first time, she looked into his eyes and found them to be confusing.

"What's that look?" Mis asked, never one to let a mystery go un-solved. All at once the look dissipated, and she almost wondered if she had imagined it.

"What're you talking about?" Snape asked her tonelessly. Mis narrowed her eyes.

"You know what I'm talking about." She replied quickly. Snape rolled his eyes at her.

"I was just thinking." Snape said.

"Yeah, I figured, but about what?" She pressed.

"Shut up, Holtzer, you're seeing things." Snape replied almost a bit defensive. Mis stopped herself, perhaps he was just worried. That was reasonable to assume, she thought. Mis gave him a searching look for a moment, before nodding slowly.

"Uh huh, sure." Mis said, obviously unconvinced.

The sound of footsteps approaching snapped Mis back to herself, and she checked the wall clock mounted above the window over the sink.

"Well, the bright side is, the night can't really get worse from here on out." Mis said to Snape with a shrug. Snape almost smiled again.

"Famous last words." He replied, shaking his head.

Mis kept the issue with the flowers to herself as she ate dinner with everyone, but Hermione and Ginny watched her like hawks, waiting for her to crack again. Mis was entirely unable to meet Draco's eyes, and she felt both embarrassed and guilty. Sure, she could handle The Dark Lord sending her a practically obscene bouquet of flowers, and she was fine, god forbid a boy her own age send a perfectly genuine confession her way, no, that was the thing that made her act like a twelve year old. Mis stared down at her plate full of…Mis didn't even remember what it was called, something French with shredded lamb and a red-wine sauce. Mis pinched her lips, she'd have to talk to Draco later. She had to talk to him, but she didn't know what the hell to say. _I'm sorry Draco, but I don't think you want to be involved with a girl who's got the Dark Lord on her ass…_ Mis cringed inwardly, and thought perhaps that was not the way to phrase it. Mis felt a jab in her ribs, and quickly looked up at Snape who gestured to Dumbledore with his chin. Mis followed Snape's line of sight and saw that Dumbledore had a grave look in his bright blue eyes as he considered Tonks. Mis noticed the table had gone silent. Mis placed her fork down on her plate and folded her hands in her lap, waiting for Dumbledore to speak. The old man cleared his throat.

"Nymphadora, tell us…did you find anything in the Lestrange's vault?" He asked soberly. Mis felt a hum in her chest at the mention of the vault and the underlying truth of what it contained.

"Oh aye, didn't want to bring it up till after dinner, but Remus and I did find something." Tonks said, her normally cheerful demeanor no where to be found as she rummaged in a worn brown satchel she had at her feet. The moment the golden cup breached the brim of the satchel Mis felt something leap inside of her, as if she had just been reunited with a long lost friend. Tonks placed the ornate, two handled goblet on the table, and Mis couldn't help but marvel at how the gold seemed to shimmer tantalizingly. The table took a collective intake of breath. "Getting this thing was no mean feat I'm not ashamed to say. Had to call in a favor from an old friend at the bank who was thankfully sympathetic enough to give me five minutes inside." Tonks said grimly, looking at the cup disgustedly.

"So this is a horcrux…how do you know for sure?" Mad-eye asked, ever the skeptic.

"I can feel it, Peggy, that's him in there." Mis said simply, not taking her eyes from the cup.

"Mis told us precisely where it was, Mad-eye, we've no reason to doubt her word." Tonk's said defensively. Mis felt the part of Tom's soul inside of her trying to tear itself away, wanting to be closer to what it recognized as a piece of itself. It hurt, and Mis unconsciously clutched at her chest and try to breath deeply.

"Holtzer?" Snape questioned from her left. She looked up at him, and the proceeded to have a conversation comprised entirely of facial expressions, and eye flickers.

 _What's wrong, Holtzer?_

 _Nothing_

 _Liar_

 _It_ _'s the cup_

 _What about it?_

 _It_ _'s hurting me_

 _Why?_

 _I don_ _'t know_

"Does anyone speak their language? Because I'm a bit lost." Fred chimed in, looking between Mis and Snape, trying to read them.

"Maybe they're blinking in morse code?" George supplied. Remus chuckled.

Mis looked away from Snape, suddenly realizing that she wasn't actually speaking.

"Sorry, could I see that, please?" Mis said standing up and pointing to the goblet. Tonks picked it up and leaned across the table to hand it to Mis. The girl no sooner had one of the golden handles in her grasp than she dropped it as a violent strike tore through her chest. Everyone jumped as the goblet clanged rudely against the wooden table, ringing through the silent kitchen like a cymbal clash. Mis took a sharp intake of breath as the feeling crashed through her and she shut her eyes.

There were several exclamations of concern as everyone realized what had happened. Mis held up her hand, indicating she needed a moment. Everyone fell silent, and Mis allowed herself to process the sensation, it was violent, but also…joyous. This piece of Tom's soul inside her felt like an impatient puppy, pulling at his leash, dying to get closer to inspect the subject of his fixation. Mis swallowed, but it hurt. In its exuberance, it had yanked on her own soul, trying to tear away. Too many emotions, that's what Mis's life had become, too many emotions for one body.

"What happened?" Snape asked her. Mis shook her head.

"I don't know, it's like Tom's soul leapt forward when I touched that handle." She said, rubbing at the top of her chest over her suddenly constricted lungs.

"Miss Holtzer, I would advise against touching it again…" Dumbledore said quickly. Mis looked over at him. "I suspect if you continue to touch it, the soul inside you will either rip away, tearing your own to be reunited with the piece in this horcrux, or else you will end up absorbing the soul inside Helga's cup." Dumbledore explained darkly. Mis furrowed her brows, that didn't make any sense. Harry had been able to touch hocruxes while he had Tom's soul inside of him, what was different about her? Mis shook her head in confusion.

"That can't be, Harry never had a problem touching them, why should I?" Mis more to herself than to Dumbledore.

"But you saw all of his memories, and I never saw that…only what he was thinking or feeling at one particular time." Harry chimed in, just as confused as Mis.

"Well you don't know that for sure, you were just a baby when his soul attached to you, you might have gotten the transfer of memories and not remembered." Hermione answered.

"Oh, isn't it bloody obvious?" Snape said, commandeering the conversation. "Magic doesn't effect you, Holtzer, this implies that every reaction you have is unknowable…why would anything effect you and Potter the same way?" He asked her, slightly annoyed.

"Well when you put it like that…" Mis said grudgingly.

"This is a useless conversation, we have the goddamn horcrux, end of issue…Now we have to figure out what to do with it." Mad-eye barked, thumping his peg leg on the floor in agitation.

"We should destroy it, shouldn't we? Most straight forward approach, I'd say." Said Mr. Weasley. Dumbledore shook his head.

"Miss Holtzer clearly has a strong connection to it, if it were to be destroyed we have no way of knowing if it would cause damage to her." He said grimly. Mis bite the inside of her cheek, she hadn't considered that. Would she feel it if it was destroyed, would it hurt her soul as well as Tom's? She wondered. Mis shook her head.

"No, we can't destroy it, even if it wouldn't harm me we still couldn't… I have to give it back to him…" Mis was cut of mid-sentence.

"Give it back to him?! Like hell, we can't give him back his horcrux!" Mad-eye exclaimed gruffly. Mis gave him a look of annoyance.

"I don't mean to give him back the horcruxes, Peggy, take a valium and chill. I'm gonna give him back his soul." She said pointedly. "Now, the problem with that is…well, everything, but there's gotta be a way, right? We just need to…"Mis cut herself off this time as an epiphany crashed into her like a bolt of lightning, and she felt her mouth fall open.

"I feel another scheme coming on, everyone brace yourselves." Snape muttered to the table, crossing his arms and looking up at Mis with weary kind of frustration.

"Pokemon." Mis said, a grin widening across her face and her dark eyes crackling with her idea. "Pokemon!" Mis exclaimed, slapping her hand on the kitchen table.

"English, Holtzer." Snape said, rubbing his temple. Mis rounded on him, making him jump slightly at the intensity with which she grasped his arm.

"Gotta catch 'em all." She said with a smirk.

"Love, we're still confused." Sirius offered for the table. Mis chuckled.

"Ok, we can all agree I can be a moron…but damned if I don't shock myself with my own brilliance sometimes." Mis said with self satisfaction. Snape covered his eyes with his hand and used the other to make a hurry up gesture. "So the first time around, I told you all what happened. You three found all the horcruxes, but it took a long time." Mis said pointing to the Golden Trio. "However, this time around, I happen to have a fairly good idea where they all are. Around this time, Umbridge should have the Slytherin locket, the diadem of Ravenclaw is in the room of hidden things, and Nagini is with Tom. In other words we can have three of the remaining horcruxes, including me, in our possession before the sun comes up again, four if someone wants to take one for the team and go knock that bitch over the head." Mis said with a snort. The room was completely silent for several moment, before Mis head whipped around at the sound of Mad-eye's slowly building laughter.

"Aye, that's my girl there!" He said fondly, slapping his knee as he chuckled. "If you were a witch, girlie, I'd recommend you to the Auror Academy!" He said jovially. Mis laughed with him, the previous scuffle forgotten.

"I don't understand, so what if we can have the horcruxes before the sun comes up?" Ron asked, voicing the confusion that seemed to be on everyone's face now that Mis was looking at them all. Did they really not get it? She wondered.

"Fucking Gryffindors." Snape muttered to himself. "Mr. Weasley, if we have the horcuxes we have The Dark Lord. I can't speak for you, but if it were I that had the remaining pieces of my soul in enemy hands, I'd do whatever I could to ensure they wouldn't be destroyed." Snape explained in that tone he used when speaking to someone very slow witted.

"In other words, Ron, we can get him by the short hairs." Mis said with a snort. Snape groaned.

"Yes, Holtzer…everyone is ever so fond of your folksy phrases." Snape said sarcastically.

"At the very least we can force him to stop attacking muggles, we can neutralize him, maybe even capture him!" Mis said, her hands shaking a little a she gestured to the table wildly.

"This seems too good to be true." Mr. Malfoy said. "Capturing the Dark Lord is impossible, and almost definitely temporary, there's no place that could contain him, not even Azkaban." Mr. Malfoy said shaking his head..

"He's just one man, Mr. Malfoy, he is powerful, but despite what he thinks of himself, he is neither a Lord nor a god. If were smart about it, we can get him." Mis said with conviction, holding herself straight and proud.

"Ok, let's entertain the possibility that we do capture him…what the hell are we supposed to do then? The Daily Prophet will have a field day, and everyone will think the war's over." Remus said.

"Plus we have to think about the fact that Death Eater's are infecting the Ministry even as we speak, having him won't stop them from their plans." Tonks interjected with a nod.

"Where are we going to keep him?"

"What about his followers?"

"When would we have him?"

Everyone's voices were beginning to drown each other out, Mis tried to calm them down, but she'd started an avalanche and she didn't know how to put the breaks on it.

"Silence!" Dumbledore roared, calling everyone to order. "Miss Holtzer, your idea is compelling, however, there is one thing I fear…"Dumbldore said now that everyone had fallen silent. "We cannot know if he will be swayed by his soul being threatened. We all may look at the situation and say surely he must be, but Tom Riddle as never conformed to the average persons way of thinking, he's already broken his soul thoroughly, it is clear he doesn't value it the same as a normal man."

Mis nodded.

"He may not fear for his soul, sir, but I know the thing he truly fears." Mis said heavily.

"He fears death." Snape said. Mis shook her head.

"Not just death, he fears hell, he fears torment and being forgotten by both God and Man. That's why he wants immortality. He's afraid of judgment…like _ultimate_ judgment, like white throne, God holding the book of life in front of him and his name isn't there judgment. Also being forgotten, that's the real curse of hell…not a lake of fire, it's isolation with nothing but yourself and the knowledge that you fucked up for the rest of forever. Alone for all of eternity." Mis said, her voice distant and sad.

"That's terrible…" Harry whispered. Mis nodded.

"He may not care about his soul itself, but he certainly cares about not dying." Mis said.

"So that's our next step?…We need to collect the remaining horcruxes?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, pretty much, so someone needs to get the locket and someone needs to get the diadem. Oh!" Mis perked up and pointed to Harry. "What potions book do you have right now?" She asked. Harry's eyes widened a little bit, and looked confused at her question. "Oh wait, never mind, different timeline, but spoiler alert…the half-blood prince is Snape, how you didn't recognize his handwriting is beyond me, but whatever." She said quickly, leaving Harry to look very confused and a bit horrified. She turned to Draco for the first time that evening. "Batter up, boy. You've spent a lot of time in the room of hidden things…you've got the best chance of finding the diadem." She ordered confidently, now was not the time to let her own feelings get in the way of a good plan.

Draco looked around, shocked that he was suddenly the center of attention. He cleared his throat.

"Um, yeah, sure." He said nervously. Mis smirked.

"I like the confidence." She deadpanned.

"What do we do when we get them?" Hermione asked.

"Well…I'll go to him. Best to keep it simple, right?" Mis answered.

"Take him one of your apple pies, one bite, problem solved." George said. Mis dropped her smile and sent him a glare.

"It's that a bit cliched? Poison apple, I mean?" Fred asked his brother. Mis gasped in betrayal.

"You said you liked my pie!" Mis said accusatorially. Fred smirked and waggled his eyebrows. Mis held up a hand. "Comment retracted, ok? Relax." Mis said, though she was holding back a smile. She looked around the table. "What? No hue and cry about me putting myself in harms way? No _Please, Miss Holtzer there must be another way?_ " She said with a smile.

"Damned if we say anything, damned if we don't." Snape muttered, though not bitterly.

"Pretty much." She quipped back with a chuckle.

With a tangible plan in place, everyone seemed to feel a little better, including Mis who felt a sense of purpose as she saw a clear goal before her. She preferred that feeling to the floundering she'd grown accustomed to since waking up after taking Tom's soul. After dinner, she hung back in the kitchen with Snape as everyone else went into the living room to settle their stomachs with dessert and butterbeer. Snape was leaning his back against the counter with his arms crossed, while Mis washed dishes.

"Why don't you just ask Narcissa or Molly to use a bloody cleaning charm on them?" Snape asked her disdainfully.

"Because I like doing them." Mis answered, unabated by his tone.

"How can you possibly?" Snape replied. Mis gave a dignified sniff.

"Doing dishes allows me to collect my thoughts, and I find that momentary distance from social interaction provides a much needed catharsis." She replied smoothly. Snape nodded thoughtfully.

"So, who are you avoiding?" He asked, un-fooled.

"Draco." She replied not even bothering to pretend, as she scrubbed a bowl casually.

"Ah…might I ask why?" Snape queried tonelessly.

"He gave me purple lilacs." Mis answered, placing the bowl in the drying rack. "…and if you laugh again, I'll drown you in murky dishwater." She threatened blandly.

"Oh, that isn't horrifying enough to be amusing." Snape assured her. "But goodness, aren't you the popular one? Can't help but wonder who the third will be." He said with a snort. Mis looked at him sharply.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" She asked, pausing in her cleaning. Snape raised his eyebrows at her.

"Everything comes in threes." He said with an airy wave of his hand. Mis slid her jaw.

"You know, being the voice of doom may go well with your aesthetic, but it's really not helping me right now." Mis said in a clipped tone, before giving him a more troubled look. "Really, Snape. I don't know what the hell to do about him…" Mis said shaking her head. "I don't want to hurt him or anything…I mean what if I break his heart or something?" She asked him, allowing him to see how concerned and anxious she was. Snape immediately dropped the disdainful, mocking countenance and considered her question genuinely.

"It's better to be clear, Holtzer. If the truth breaks his heart, that won't be your fault…but if you give him hope where there is none, it _will_ be your fault, and giving false hope doesn't just leave a broken heart, it leaves a bitter one." Snape answered in a way that spoke of experience, and it brought a question to her mind that she'd never considered. Had Lily known? That thought made Mis immensely uncomfortable, because if she had known how much Snape had loved her, how had she been able to let him go the way she had? Mis felt tired, so tired of revelations and trouble… Without realizing it, she'd placed the last dish on the rack and turned to Snape, feeling both resentful that he'd told her this and grateful that he trusted her enough to tell her. She walked close to him wearily and lent against him with her arms limp at her sides and her face pressed against his chest.

He didn't say anything, he just closed his arms around her gently. _Home_ every muscle in her body sang, _Home._ Lemongrass, the stiff fabric of his black robes, and his arms that seemed to be the only things in all the world that made sense. She had a thousand different 'Whys' ringing through her mind, bouncing and echoing like tolling iron bells, but the longer Snape held her, the quieter they became. Every bad thing in the world seemed quite distant at that moment, and every good thing seemed a little brighter.


	21. A Deal With The Devil

**I know...okay? I know it's been a long time, I was suffering from this incurable thing called being an adult and one of my favorite things to do got put on the back burner. I hope you'll all bear with me as I try to get back into the swing of this. Anyway, thanks to everyone who's been sticking it out for this long, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

 **As always, please forgive my lack of ability to catch grammatical mistakes.**

Chapter 21: A Deal With the Devil

Mis broke away from Snape and considered him thoughtfully.

"Can I just tell Draco I'm in love with you, or something?" Mis asked him, half serious. Snape blinked slowly.

"If your wish is to die slowly and painfully, then by all means…tell him that." Snape said dangerously.

"Why can't you ever be the Goose to my Maverick?!" Mis demanded of him in a low whisper.

"Fuck you and Top Gun, I'm not your goddamn wingman. Just bloody tell him, coward." Snape replied without heat, going back to lean against the counter.

"Come on…be the hero, do me a solid, thread the needle, take one for the team, be a pal…I can probably go on if any of these cliches are helping convince you." Mis said hopefully. Snape stared at her.

"How many languages can you say 'No' in?" Snape asked, almost pleasantly. Mis cocked her head to one side in thought.

"Well, there's about 6500 known languages right now, but that number doesn't account for dead languages, undiscovered languages, and fictional ones like Vulcan or Elvish. I'll make an educated guess that you could, hypothetically, tell me 'No' in about 7000 or so different ways." Mis answered just to be an ass. "Was this an actual question or were you just being facetious?" Mis asked with a saccharin smile. Snape gave her a very unamused look

"Why don't you make an educated guess?" Snape grit out, a muscle in his jaw jumping in agitation. Mis smiled even wider.

"Based on our previous interactions, and what I know about you as a person…I suspect you were being facetious…" She said sweetly.

"Top marks, Holtzer." Snape deapanned. Mis sighed, dropping the joke, and leaned back against the counter next to Snape. She folded her arms, and bowed her head heavily.

"Seriously, though, could you do me a favor and call him in here? I don't really know how to do this." Mis asked, looking back up at him with a humorless smile. Snape considered her briefly.

"Not used to this sort of situation?" He asked. Mis snorted.

"Not entirely inexperienced." She said with a smirk. "But I feel more protective of Draco, I don't want him to be hurt, especially by me." She said seriously. Snape nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright…but I'm not staying in the bloody room while you speak together." Snape warned her, holding up a stern finger.

"Not even for moral support?" Mis asked, smiling.

"I'll support you from the hall. You'll be just fine." Snape said in a voice that Mis found kind despite the disdain in his tone. She looked at him tenderly, suddenly immensely grateful to have him there.

"Yeah, that sounds like you…always in the shadows, letting everything think you're cold when really, you've got the single most steadfast heart I've ever known. Always supporting us from the hall." She said with a chuckle. "You don't get told this enough, Snape, but without you…this whole damn opera would've fallen apart a long time ago." She said, her dark hazel eyes sparkling and her voice gentle as she stared at his hooked profile. It was such an austere face, so naturally inclined to sneering, but she didn't pay much attention to that, it was the look on Snape's face that almost made her smile falter, it was so serious and there was a sadness in it that seemed insidious, but that was not what caused her heart to squeeze. There was a heat in his black eyes that Mis had never seen there before, and they were searching her…looking for something in her own eyes. He looked at her as if trying to decode her, and Mis wondered if he doubted what she had just said.

"I'd never lie to you, Snape, ever. I believe what I said, I believe it with all my heart." She said suddenly fierce as she gripped his forearm.

"I don't get told that." He said softly.

"What?" She asked.

"No one's ever said what you just told me." He clarified, looking strangely vulnerable, so very different from his normal evasive sarcasm. Mis moved her hand to his and held it with a smile on her face.

"Then I'll just have to tell you everyday to make up for lost time." She said with a decisive nod. He didn't smile, but his eyes flickered to a different kind of light, a softer more affectionate light. It was moments like this that made Mis feel as though a little more love had been added to her heart, making it surge like a splash of lighter fluid on an open flame. She couldn't help but think of how he'd been when she'd first met him, and how she'd always wanted to show him love, and how impossible it had seemed for him to accept it back then. Mis smiled at him brightly. She'd gotten her wish. He looked at her now with trust and affection, and she was thankful for that, and she wondered if he knew just how much she cared for him…if he could ever possibly know.

"Holtzer…can I ask you a question?" Snape said softly. Mis smiled and nodded.

"Of course." She said easily. Snape stared at her for a moment, and his coal black eyes looked so unsure and afraid, as if he felt he was taking a risk.

"I know you think I'm a good man, but why?" He said with genuine wonder. Mis's heart squeezed painfully, how could the fool not know?

"Because of the way you love." She said simply, staring into his coal black eyes that had never seemed cold despite their color. "I know for a fact that you love me, and that I'll always have it. It's unconditional, and to me anyway, that makes you good." She chuckled at herself. "I want to learn to love like you." She said with sparkling, adoring hazel eyes.

"God, I hate it when you get all sentimental on me." Snape said, looking away from her. Mis smiled even brighter because she knew he was lying, she could tell by how his eyes seemed to smile even though his mouth was straight.

"Yeah…sure, whatever you say, man." Mis replied with a smirk on her face. Snape scoffed.

"Oh, bugger off." He replied without conviction, pushing himself off the counter and walking away from her. "This ought to be interesting." Mis heard him mutter to himself as he left to go fetch Draco. She shook her head at him fondly, Snape would never say what he felt outright, he was a person that had to be read with a careful eye, like a dense work of poetry, he said what he felt in riddles and evasion.

With Snape out of the room, she felt anxiety at what she had to say to Draco creep slowly back into her body, she stared at the floor, still leaning on the counter with her arms crossed. She heard a soft knock, causing her head to shoot up to look at the doorway.

Draco stood there, his hand still raised slightly after having just knocked on the door jam. At that most inopportune moment, Mis realized that Draco was almost precisely her type. Blonde, with an angular face, blue eyes and a bit of a sordid past. She scanned her eyes up his lean body and wondered whether she was, in fact, making the right decision or if…Mis mentally shook herself roughly. It would be pure vanity and selfishness if she were to accept his declaration, she couldn't have a relationship like that with him. Nothing could be closer to her heart than her mission, protect them…that was what moved her muscles and burned inside of her. Nothing was more dear to her, and Mis didn't want Draco to have to play second fiddle to that when she knew there would be someone else in his future who would put him first.

"Hi, Draco." Mis said with the smile she used when trying to distance herself. Draco smiled back.

"Hello." He said, stepping farther into the kitchen. "Professor Snape informed me that you have something to tell me." He said formally, smoothly walking over to her with his hands plunged into the pockets of his black slacks. Mis nodded, and steadied herself.

"First, I wanted to thank you for the flowers you sent me…they were beautiful…but you see…Wait, let me start by saying I didn't know the meaning of them until Ginny and Hermione told me, so I'm sorry if this is belated…or…or whatever." Mis stuttered. She growled at herself and ran a hand through her hair. She looked up at Draco. He looked so nervous and unsure of himself and Mis felt like the lowest being on the face of the planet. "Look, I like you Draco, I don't want to you think I don't. You're very attractive, rich and basically everything…but this…" She said gesturing between the two of them. "…Can't happen, for a hundred reasons." She said keeping her voice as gentle as possible. Draco stared at her for several moments that felt like an eternity. Just looking at her as if she were inscrutable, unknowable, and beautiful. Mis wondered why he had to look at her the way he was, it was only hurting himself and her.

"I see…" He answered. They fell into silence…a silence that Mis couldn't handle. She took a step away from him, shook her head and waved her arms around as if she couldn't take it.

"Ok, ok…shit, that look on your face isn't helping me right now…I'm not the…"Mis paused and her eyes lit up. "Oh!" She exclaimed, and laughed. "I'll tell you something that'll make you feel better, ok?" She said, thoughtlessly reaching out to grab his wrist. He suddenly looked very confused, and Mis nearly laughed. "Dude…you're not supposed to be in a relationship with me, because I already know who you're gonna marry." She said with sly smile.

"Are you seri…?!" Mis quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, and looked at the doorway for several seconds before sighing in relief and letting Draco go.

"Never say that word again, it summons that man-child like a satanic incantation." Mis whispered.

"Right, sorry, but you just said you know who I'll marry…" Draco said again, totally ignoring Mis and her desire to avoid 'Sirius' puns.

"Yep. You'll have a son too." Mis said brightly.

"Can you tell me who it is?" Draco asked. Mis paused and thought…would that be ok, or would it stop him or something, would she screw anything up by telling him? Mis shook her head, realizing she sucked at making decisions.

"Snape!" Mis called. "Come in here, I need to ask you a question. I promise the worst is over." She called, knowing he was in the hall outside the kitchen.

"What now?" Snape asked walking into the kitchen and looking put upon.

"Do you think I can tell Draco who he's gonna marry, or is that like…fucking with the space/time continuum?" She asked as Snape came to stand beside her. He blinked several times.

"Has my hair gone white? Am I in a lab coat? Do I drive a goddamn Delorean?!" Snape asked her, his voice rising with each question.

"Believe me, Snape, I'd much prefer if Doc Brown were here so I could ask him, but since he's not, you're it…so just, shut up and advise me already!" Mis replied heatedly.

"I hope you die in a fire." Snape spat leaning closer to her face so that Draco couldn't quite hear.

"Now's not the time!" Mis whispered back murderously. Snape huffed and straightened up.

"Just tell him, what difference will it really make?" Snape said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Are you sure?" Mis asked him with concern. Snape looked at her with his eye twitching slightly.

"Is this a fucking bit you're working on?! I advised you, now make a decision, Holtzer." Snape growled in irritation. Mis held up her hands.

"Fine, fine, christ, don't get so pissy." Mis mumbled. Mis turned to look at Draco who had a strange expression on his face, almost like he understood something he hadn't before, Mis ignored it and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"You're gonna marry Astoria Greengrass, and you'll have a son…actually he'll be the same age as Harry's youngest…" Mis held herself up with a smirk. "But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves." She said with an knowing chuckle. Mis watched a Draco's face went through a myriad of emotions.

"I see." He said with a nod. "But what if I don't want her? Do I have no say in my own fate?" Draco asked, even toned. Mis felt her eyes widen and her brain scream at her to 'abort mission.' Mis swallowed.

"Of course you do…but I think you'll be happy with…"

"You do not get to dictate who I'll be happy with." Draco replied, still not raising his voice.

"No…I didn't mean it like that." Mis said, hastily trying to backtrack. Draco moved a step closer, close enough for her to smell his cologne. Mis felt her face go pink as she stared at the floor, trying to remind herself that she wasn't a blusher. He reached his hand out to tilt her chin upwards and look at her face square on.

"I reject your rejection, Mis." He said, in a deep voice that made Mis's mouth go dry and her heart pick up. He smirked and Mis felt as though she might have a heart attack. "Besides, it's no fun if you don't give chase a little." He said leaning in to whisper in her ear. He held himself there for a moment longer than necessary then straightened up and left the goddamn room. Mis stood frozen, watching the doorway he'd just disappeared through. Mis held up a finger as if she were a chemist who'd just realized she'd just mixed something she shouldn't have.

"I think I did something wrong…because that went off on a tangent that I had _really_ not anticipated." Mis said, her body still frozen.

"Smooth, kid." Snape commented, almost admiringly. Mis's whipped her head around to glare at him and opened her mouth ready to let him have it for advising her wrongly. Snape held up his hand for her silence. "Fuck off, please. It's not my fault that you made the wrong decision."

"You're fired!" She spat at him as if that were the cruelest phrase in the English language.

"Good." He replied, almost pleasant. Mis stomped her foot petulantly.

"You supposed to say 'you can't fire me, I quit.'" Mis whined before sinking down on the kitchen table bench and putting her head in her hands. Mis felt Snape sit down next to her, but she didn't look up.

"Firstly, I made it quite clear that we are not a bloody comedy duo, I will not be playing along with your little skits. Secondly, you can't fire me, because I was never hired, so shove off and get your jokes right." Snape said crisply. "I'm sure Black has a bottle of fire whiskey around here if you feel like favoring a less sober consciousness at the moment." Snape said with a snort. Mis's head shot up, and Snape realized that he shouldn't have said that. "Don't you dare, Holtzer, it was a joke. I take it back, ok? your… _being_ on alcohol is the single most annoying thing ever conceived." Snape said quickly, though he knew it was already too late. Mis nodded thoughtfully.

"Well, looks like you'll have to get just as fucked up as me, then." Mis said with a serene smile.

Mis had the good sense to wait until everyone had gone, and Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy had retired to their room. After hearing of the whole incident from Mis, Sirius decided to support her in her need to get shit faced, and Remus as well. Snape was dragged along against his will, and he found himself sitting in the living room with Mis, Sirius and Remus at 2 o'clock in the morning, and Mis was about five drinks in.

"Sirius…" Mis whined at the equally drunk animagus. "You're not doing it right!" She said, her speech slow and slurred. She was standing about ten feet away from Sirius in the middle of the living room that had recently been cleared of it's obstructing furniture, save the couch and a plush chair that Remus and Snape were sitting on respectively.

"I'm trying, but you're heavier than you look." He groaned, matching her whining tone.

"You're not running fast enough, you need to get more momentum." Remus advised, slightly tipsy himself but nowhere near Sirius and Mis. Mis nodded clumsily before pointing to Snape, cueing him to put the music back on.

 _Now I've…had…the time of my life…_

 _and I never felt this way before,_

 _yes I swear, it's the truth…_

the music played from the small speaker of Mis's phone. Sirius clapped his hands and nodded for her to run at him. Mis giggled softly, before shaking herself to look more serious.

"You're not going to drop me, right?" Mis said, half joking. Sirius held his hand over his heart clumsily, trying to look offended but not quite managing.

"I'd never let a lady fall…" He said with a hiccup. Mis nodded as if that explanation was good enough for her before taking several steps backwards then launching herself forward and going into a barrel run towards Sirius. Mis jumped just before colliding with him and he caught her stomach and hoisted her over his head with a painful sounding grunt. Snape couldn't help but snort at Mis as she flailed like a deranged goose over Sirius's reddening face.

"I told you we could do it, Snape, didn't I? Me an Sirius are graceful as hell…look at this shit, Snape! Snape, are you watching?" Mis babbled, as Sirius's face got redder and redder from exertion.

"How is your weight scientifically possible? You're the size of a malnourished squirrel." Sirius said his voice strained as he set her back to the floor.

"Whatever, man, it's all muscle, Peggy's got me down to like 12% body fat…that's like on the level of a freaking olympic track and field bitch. Check this out…" Mis said, fumbling with the hem of her shirt then yanking it off, leaving herself with only a light blue sports bra and black leggings. "They're like marble…" She said, very pleased with herself as she thrust her stomach out in Sirius's direction. Sirius bent lower to inspect her muscle tone at eye level, with his hands supporting himself on his knees.

"Mmmm…" Sirius uttered, nodding thoughtfully. He reached out a hand to feel her stomach, but Mis caught his wrist and held it away from it.

"The hell you think you're doing? hands off the merchand- the march- merchandees-…" She huffed at herself. "…hands off the goods." Mis said, her tongue thick and her brain unresponsive. Sirius furrowed his brows and looked up at her with confusion.

"Huh?" He said intelligently. Mis bent low to whisper in his ear.

"I'm ticklish, and if I have a laugh attack right now, I'm gonna blow some serious chunks." Mis whispered.

"Please don't ever use the words 'blow' and 'serious' in the same sentence again…ever… _ever_." Remus said looking slightly ill. Mis stared at Remus for a solid ten seconds before giggles began bubbling up from her mouth. It took Sirius another ten seconds before he got the joke, but when he did, he began laughing too. The two drunk morons wilted to the floor, clutching their spasming stomachs as laughter overtook them. Mis turned her head towards Sirius, sprawled next to her on the ground, and seemed to think very hard about something for a moment, before she shot up and squealed.

"Lassie!" She exclaimed, crawling over to him and shaking his shoulder. "I've never seen your animagus, turn into a dog!" Mis said, her voice full of childlike enthusiasm. Sirius nodded and held up a finger.

"Sure, gimme a sec, everything's spinning." He groaned. Mis sat back on her calves and folded her hands in her lap like a patient child, waiting for Sirius. Several moments later, Sirius squinted as if consentrating very hard before morphing into a huge, scruffy black dog. Mis covered an overly enthusiastic gasp with her hands, and giggled while clapping her hands.

"Oh my god, Sirius, you're so cute! Mr. Doggo pupper friend!" She exclaimed lunging at him and wrapping her arms around his furry black neck. "Snape! Look how cute he is!" Mis practically screeched.

"Yes, Holzter, I can see." Snape replied patiently.

"Snape, he's still wearing boxers…"She giggled looking down at Sirius's furry dog legs inside red plaid boxers.

"So he is." Snape nodded.

Mis giggled again before she felt the canine go limp in her arms, followed by heavy, slow breathing.

"Alrighty, then." Remus grunted standing up from his chair. "Looks like it's bedtime…I'll take him upstairs." He said walking over to Mis. She smiled up at him.

"Awww, that's so cute, taking care of your drunk doggy friend…Moonshine you're so sweet, how are you so sweet?" She asked, slurring her words. Remus chuckled at her and picked up the large black dog.

"It's all the chocolate I eat." He said with a smile. Mis blinked in confusion then beamed at Remus before turning to Snape.

"Snape, that was so smooth, did you hear what he said?" Mis asked happily. Snape covered his hand with his face, that girl was already loose tongued and said every thing that popped into her head…and alcohol only made her worse. Remus left the room with Sirius, leaving Mis to sit on the floor and stare blankly until she seemed to get an idea and jumped up a little too quickly making her falter slightly and clutch her spinning head. She smiled at Snape and walked over to him with wobbly steps. Snape heard her move and watched her as she pranced forward and threw herself onto him, making Snape grunt loudly in pain beneath her weight. She fidgeted for a moment before curling into his chest and sighing as she got comfortable. Snape held his arms upward in slight shock, though really he knew he shouldn't be, she was affectionate enough when she was sober.

"Comfortable?" He asked, equal parts irritated and sarcastic. She either didn't catch his tone or ignored it.

"Home…" She hummed contentedly. "You're like home…" She said. Snape felt a soft warmth in his heart at her words and couldn't help but close his arms around her. "Do you feel that way about me too, Snape?" She asked, sounding surprisingly coherent. Snape felt his entire body freeze, how was this the question her drunk mind conjured? Snape relaxed a second later and smiled to himself…It'd been a long time since he'd thought of home in the abstract sense. A place of rest, where he could be sure that he was safe and welcomed unconditionally…he'd never known such a place existed…until now. Home was wherever Holtzer happened to be, and although she was fallible, silly and sometimes reckless, he was certain of one thing…She would love him; she would always love him. He leaned his head down and kissed the top of her head, then rested his cheek there.

"Shut up, Holtzer." He said softly, with a smile on his lips.

"I love you too, Snape." She replied with a yawn, snuggling even closer. He smiled down at her, strangely proud that she understood him perfectly.

"Oi, Holtzer…" He said, shaking his arms around her slightly, trying to rouse her. He sighed, the little moron had gone and fallen asleep on him, and Black was right, she was far heavier than she looked. She didn't stir in the slightest. "What the hell am I supposed to do with you, eh?" He asked, knowing she was out like a roman candle.

Shortly after opening her bleary eyes, Mis realized that it was a mistake to do so. She sat up, and realized that was a mistake too.

"You drank like an unemployed goblin last night, and I do not envy the pain in your head right now." She heard Mrs. Malfoy's voice, which sounded stern and reproachful and way too loud. Mis clutched her head and moaned. Mis shrieked as Mrs. Malfoy flung open the dark curtains of her room, sadisticallly allowing the blazing sun to beat onto Mis's head and blind her. "Do not expect me to coddle you." The woman said. "Get up, now, brush your teeth and come down, it's after 11." She said, then with a swish of fabric left the room in a huff.

"I hate you…" Mis muttered crossly as she threw the covers off her body, and clutched her pounding head again.

"I heard that, Artemis!" She heard Mrs. Malfoy inform her crisply from down the hall. Mis truly did hate that woman at that moment in time, but she wasn't fool enough to ignore her orders. In only a thin camisole and boy shorts, she lumbered to the bathroom. With her teeth brushed and her bladder no longer screaming at her she stomped downstairs, then stopped stomping as that was only exacerbating her vile headache. She zombie walked into the kitchen with her eyes closed.

"Miss Holtzer! What are you wearing?!" Mr. Malfoy shouted the moment Mis walked in. Sirius leapt about a foot in the air at the sound of Mr. Malfoys shrill voice. Mis cracked her jaw.

"You see these…?" Mis said grabbing her boobs. "…49% of the population has them Mr. Malfoy, everyone in this room as seen a boob before, there is no mystery, and I will not be subjugated because I happen to possess them! Yeah, I was too lazy to put on a bra, if this offends the Lord above, may he strike me where I stand!" She exclaimed, holding her arms out as if inviting God to shoot a bolt of lightning at her head. "Oh look at that, Jesus doesn't mind that my boobs aren't imprisoned right now…So you know what? I'm fine with it too." She said heatedly, plopping herself down next to Sirius at the kitchen table.

"Artemis, I don't care how bad your hangover is, you will not speak to your elders with such disrespect." Mrs. Malfoy said sternly, putting a plate a fried eggs in front of her.

"Thank you, Cissa." Mr. Malfoy said pointedly glaring at Mis.

"Why don't you talk to your son? He's the one that drove me to drink. Tell him no means no while your at it." Mis muttered, picking up the fork beside her petulantly.

"If you keep talking, I will end you." Sirius said with a raw voice. Mis looked at him.

"Me specifically, or is that a catch all for everyone in the room?" Mis asked like the smart ass she was.

"You specifically, at the moment." He growled. "It's your bloody fault my head feels like it's stuck between two wrecking balls." He said, flicking her in the arm. Mis gave him a derisive snort.

"Oh sure, it's my fault that you decided to shotgun the last fifth of whisky while beatboxing the Seinfeld theme song, and while we're on the subject, your Jerry Seinfeld impression sucks." She said spitefully, dipping a piece of toast into the yolk of the fried egg in front of her as if it had offended her merely by existing.

"Wait one moment, now…" Mr. Malfoy said, holding up the spatula in his hand as if it were a gavel in a courtroom. "Whatever do you mean by my son drove you to drink…what did he do?" Mr. Malfoy said, extremely interested.

"He propositioned my little girl!" Sirius said, slamming his hand down on the table, making Mis cover her ears and glare at him.

"He did not!" Mis said, appalled at Sirius.

"He drove you to drink!" Sirius fired back quickly.

"It's not his fault that I'm bad at coping with awkward situations!" She said in Draco's defense.

"Would you two give it a rest? Every time you speak my soul leaves my body and vibrates in the nether." Remus muttered clutching his head. Mis and Sirius gave each other a look, then turned on Remus.

"You barely even drank, pansy." Sirius said.

"Yeah, we're the ones that drank like idiots." Mis said, supporting Sirius. Remus glared at them.

"I'm old…hangovers affect me differently." He ground out. Sirius scoffed.

"Ok, gran, we'll try to keep it down so you can hear your stories on the wireless." Sirius said mockingly. Unfortunately, Mis had just taken a bite of egg that would've caused her untimely death by asphyxiation had Sirius not had the presence of mind to clap her on the back, dislodging said egg from her windpipe. Unphased, Mis proceeded to laugh as she imagined Remus in front of a circa 1940's radio hunchbacked in a recliner with a hideous quilt around his shoulders, round spectacles low on his nose, knitting a shawl and listening to a soapopera.

"It wasn't that funny, Mis." Remus said mildly, watching her chortle to herself.

"Might still be a little drunk from last night." Sirius supplied, though he was laughing too. Mis abruptly ceased her laughing as she felt Tom's soul frost over her lungs and heart. She clutched her chest and breathed deeply.

"Screw you…" She muttered to it, under her breath.

Mis woke up from her dream, and sat on the edge of her bed for a long time. Too many nights had been spent this way, of her dreaming of Tom's memories, reliving them as if she was there herself and had never left them. She watched the silver moonlight stain the dark green curtains, the wood floor and her own pale legs. In her heart she could feel the cold fluttering of Tom's soul, and she knew that she had to go to him. These memories might never stop, she might have them as a perpetual shadow on her heart, but there was a chance…albeit a slim one, that she could change something.

She sighed and put her head in her hands. It was never really been a question to her, she'd always known she would have to leave this home. She'd blinded herself to that truth, because it hurt too fucking much. It felt like some vital part of her would be ripped from her insides if she left, and she would hemorrhage internally from it and drown in her own blood. She sat on the edge of her bed and wondered if she'd been set up for this choice from the moment she stepped foot onto the Hogwarts grounds, if every action she'd taken had moved another chess piece into place. She'd always hated the poem Invictus and this moment made her realized why. She knew that she wasn't the master of her fate, or the captain of her soul. Her fate was not her own, and neither was her soul, so how could she command either? Her heart belonged to the Order, to Sirius, Remus, Snape, and everyone else. If they asked her to jump, she'd ask how high? She claimed them as her own, but what she'd only just realized was what that meant…she'd actually handed over her own heart. Her soul was bound to Tom's, and she was responsible for the piece inside of her…maybe for all of the pieces. Her fate was decided the moment she took the pin from Mrs. Weber.

There was only one thing she could control, her actions were her's alone and she realized that was a heavy place to be. With the wrong move she might break her own heart, shatter another's soul, or doom the fate of the people she loved. She had three things that she wanted to keep, but she could only choose two. She would not curse the Order's fate, that one was set, and the last two decisions was what caused her pain. She had to break her own heart, and leave them so that Tom's soul might have a chance. She had to go on alone, without them. Curtain call for her one woman show had just come up, and she knew it.

The scenes from her dreams kept replaying in her mind, and she wondered if they would always hurt to think about, she was certain they would…There are some things time can't really fix, she knew that now. Mis knew better than most, that it was always the little things that made a difference, the devil was in the detail, even the death of a little snake could be a catalyst, and much like how no single snowflake blames itself for an avalanche, she knew that others often didn't know how the smallest actions could create the worst of consequences.

Of course, knowing something and being able to use it are two very different creatures. She'd known all of these truths yet she'd sent that stupid letter, she showed her petty side, the side she wasn't proud of. She had to show Tom who she really was, the real her, who she only ever showed to the people she loved. The more she felt that cold shard of soul…the more she loved it in a strange way, and found herself wanting to cherish it and show it what its worth really was…its worth was beyond measure as every soul's is, and it made no difference who the owner happened to be. It had an innate value that nothing could change.

She could puzzle until her hair turned gray, but the fact remained that simply showing care for that little piece of soul wasn't enough, and it never would be. She could repeat 'I love you' forever, in constant loop till judgment and that didn't mean anything unless she showed it. Without action, love is empty, just a feeling as flimsy and changeable as any other. She had to go…she had to show him.

She ran her fingers through her dark hair and sighed wearily. Merlin had called Castus a wanderer, and perhaps that what Mis had to be as well. Though she didn't want that, she wanted to stay with them and laugh and cook and argue, but wanderers can't stay, otherwise they wouldn't be wanderers Mis supposed.

Mis flung the covers off of her body and figured there was no time like the present. Nothing could be accomplished by staying another day or night, it would only hurt anyway. Besides, they'd never let her leave…and that thought made her smile into the dark of her room.

With her hair in a ponytail, a warm pair of jeans and long-sleeve on she considered the scrap of paper in front of her, biting the end of her pen, wondering if she'd left anything out.

 _"I'm sorry for leaving like this, in the dead of night like I've stolen the silver, but I can't stay here…however much I'd like to stay. Take care of each other until I get back, and I_ will _be back, cross my heart._

 _Sirius: Don_ _'t pick fights with Snape, eat your goddamn vegetables and try not to worry, I'll be fine. I love you, Lassie, I'll be back soon._

 _Remus: Make sure you take care of Sirius, and go on a proper date with Tonks for goddsake, I_ _'ve been waiting too long for you to pull your head out, and so has she! When I get back, I expect to hear every detail about how stupidly in love you two are. I love you, Moonshine._

 _Mrs. Malfoy: Please take good care of my boys, and make the most of the time I_ _'ve bought for you and your family (yes, feel guilty about that and do what I say and have a little fun, that's an order!)._

 _Mr. Malfoy: You made a promise to me, entrusting to me your magic I_ _'m calling on it now. Watch over my family, and keep them all safe…though god forbid not at the expense of those beautiful silver locks of yours, if it comes to a decision, I'll hold no ill will if you choose to save your own hair._

 _Love,_

 _Mis_

She laughed at herself humorlessly, and placed the letter on the dark writing desk where it was sure to be seen. She didn't write anything for Snape, there was nothing she could say that he didn't already know, and that thought made her smile while her heart was breaking. It wasn't goodbye forever, but it felt that way. She shouldered her backpack and crept lightly down the rickety stairs Mad-eye's stealth training keeping them silent. She walked through the dark kitchen, slower than necessary, committing everything to memory.

" _Where are you going, Artemis?_ "

Mis clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from shrieking at the sound of the soft hissing voice emanating from the terrarium on the windowsill. She looked over slowly, feeling cornered and saw Peaches, her small head held up and her intelligent, black dewdrop eyes scrutinizing Mis from behind her glass cage. Mis breathed out and clutched her chest in relief.

 _"Fuck, you nearly gave me heart failure."_ Mis breathed in the same hushed language.

 _"Apologies."_ Peaches replied mildly, dipping her small head. Mis walked over and stuck her hand inside the cage to let peaches slither on.

 _"I'm going away for a little while, don't worry, Remus will make sure you have everything you need."_ Mis said, tenderly stroking the snake's head. She felt peaches coil tightly around her wrist, and give a noise of displeasure.

 _"We are kin, we go together."_ Peaches answered imperiously. Mis smiled sadly.

 _"You can't come with me, where would you sleep? What would you eat? I can't take care of you where I'm going."_ Mis explained, feeling as though sandpaper was rubbing her heart raw.

 _"I faired fine long before you found me, Artemis. My kind do not abandon kin…it is not our way. Furthermore, you have taken me under your care, and I will not be thrown aside."_ The snake said with authority that belied her small form. Mis considered explaining herself further, but she knew this was an argument she was going to lose. Besides, having Peaches would be like bringing a piece of home. Mis sighed and shook her head in resignation.

 _"Fine…I'd actually be happy if you came, but it's not going to be safe, and I don't want you hurt."_ Mis said. Peaches made a contented hiss at having won.

 _"We are going to see the other half, yes?"_ Peahces asked. Mis was slightly taken aback by the certainty she heard in the snake's words

 _"Yeah, we're going to see Tom."_ Mis nodded. _"Damned if I know what I'm gonna do once I get there, but then I never really know what the fuck I'm doing, so no real news there."_ Mis said with a chuckle.

 _"I will stay close to you."_ Peaches said decisively. Mis felt her heart warm.

 _"Thank you."_ Mis replied simply. Peaches made no reply, but merely settled into a comfortable coil around Mis's wrist as she went to retrieve her car keys. She vacated the house without a single noise, and the moment she was outside her heart broke again and the winter air that was starting to take hold rubbed against her face harshly. She got in her small blue car, and drove away without looking back at Grimmauld Place, she was sure that if she did, she'd lose what little nerve she still had.

"Oh dear heavenly father, baby Jesus, Blessed Virgin, St. Jude, St. Paul, St. Christopher, whoever the hell is listening, show me the way…because I haven't the slightest idea of where I'm going…" Mis muttered to herself as she drove through the confusing streets of a small seaside town. She vaguely recognized it as being near the Malfoy Manor, but damned if she could remember precisely how to get there. She felt a strange tugging in her chest, and suddenly spied the familiar beaten dirt road leading into a small dense forrest. Mis knew something strange had just happened, the soul inside her was leading her forward, there was no way she would've been able to spot it had it not been for the tugging sensation drawing her attention to it.

She pulled through and drove a small ways down before opting to stop her car and walk the remaining way, the same way she had when she'd visited with Snape. She cut the engine and stepped out of her car, immediately losing her balance when her ankle buckled into a small ditch that seemed suspiciously like the same one that had caused her problems before when she'd been in those godforsaken silver heels.

"What are the fucking odds?" she muttered to herself as she straightened up and shouldered her backpack, before kicking her car door shut aggressively. The ASU hoodie she had was too thin to offer any real protection against the chill as she began trekking down the dirt path. Despite the darkness and the cold, she heard the forrest all around her as she walked, the peaceful chirping of crickets and night birds, and the soft rustle of wind against the tall trees. Mis paused as she smelled dampness, it was probably going to rain soon, and she was already cold enough. Being caught in the rain on her way to Tommy's didn't seem like a good idea, she doubted he'd be very accommodating and might even make a snide remark about tracking mud into the goddamn foyer of the manor that didn't even belong to him.

No sooner had she wished against the rain than she heard a crack of thunder, saw a flash illuminate the dark forrest around her and rain started to drizzle softly. She sighed and shook her head before checking that Peaches was tucked away up her sleeve safe from the cold and rain, and found the little snake sleeping peacefully there. She pulled her hood over her head and began jogging down the dark forrest path. By the time she reached the large forbidding gates surrounding the manor, she was a bit water logged but mostly ok. Without thinking she unlatched the large gate, and smirked to herself. Wizards are so impractical, sure cover your estate with every cloaking and protection spell imaginable, but don't head to the goddamn corner store and pick up a 5 dollar padlock she thought to herself, both fond and annoyed.

She closed the gate behind her and looked back at the manor that seemed so much larger and colder than when she been with Snape. It was like she was walking into a prison and demanding to be put into a cell, and she couldn't help but chuckle at her own stupidity. The rain picked up, dowsing her with cold and wet and she made a beeline for the semi shelter of the large doorway. The moment she stood there, she felt him and knew he was inside. Her teeth chattered and she raised her fist to the door, pulled it back, considered fucking off to some remote location, a nice deserted tropical island in the pacific, then raised it again and knocked with force.

"Fuck me, fuck you, fuck off, fuck this, fuck that, fuck it all…" She chanted to herself while bouncing on the spot as she tried to warm herself. She sensed him on the other side of the door and stilled. Slowly it opened and a gold beam of light expanded on her as it did, and there he was. There was something different about him that she could put her finger on. He was wearing dark linen pants and a black satin robe slightly open and exposing his slender chest and showing that he wasn't wearing a shirt. His face looked the same, pixyish and androgynous with shoulder length dark wavy hair pulled away from his face in a knot. He was so damn pretty, and Mis thought not for the first time that it was such a waste to be so outwardly beautiful and so inwardly hideous.

She didn't realize till she looked up into his dark blue eyes that he'd been curiously surveying her in much the same way she was him, cataloguing her features as if searching for some significant change. Her dark hazel eyes met his own and she realized what was different. His eyes before had been so inscrutable, so deep and dark she'd had no bearing to read them, but now it was as if she could see straight through to him. As if the piece of his soul inside of her was interpreting them for her effortlessly. She stared at him in fascination, and saw everything behind his eyes, every emotion laid out for her like pages of a book. Happiness, undeniable but disturbed like a starving man seeing a banquet laid out for him. Suspicion, he didn't know why she was there and that made him uncomfortable. Mischief, but regardless he intended to have fun with this. The most curious one however, was the strange childlike confusion she saw…because she knew instinctually that he understood her emotions as well, and he didn't understand hers in the slightest. It was as if he didn't understand any emotion at all, not even his own…so seeing the sadness, determination and fear in her eyes, they seemed to him like equations in a foreign language. He righted himself and smirked.

"Do you intend to shiver on the stoop all night, or would you like to come in?" He said smoothly, breaking the silence. Mis had to fight an eye-roll.

"Sure thanks. Nice robe by the way, silk isn't it? Mustn't offend your delicate skin with crude materials like cotton I guesss." She shot back easily, stepping inside to the well lit foyer. He chuckled and closed the door behind her.

"I prefer the coolness of the fabric, and thank you for noticing. I'm flattered." He answered, standing in front of her with his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "May I take your coat?" He asked politely. Mis wanted to say no out of principle, but she was nothing if not practical. The wet fabric was chilling her straight to her bones, and being petty wouldn't help anyone. She unzipped it quickly and made to shrug it off, but before she could he reached his arms around her as if about to hug her and slipped it off her shoulders. Her face was level with his collar bone and she reminded herself that, much like being needlessly petty, punching him certainly wouldn't help anyone. When he lingered long enough for her to catch his smell, she jutted her finger to the center of his chest and gently pushed until he moved back, her wet coat over his arm.

"Stranger Danger." She said mildly, and a flicker of amusement caught his eyes before they latched onto her hand, before catching her fingertips and holding her hand up to eye level inspect it. It wasn't until that moment that Mis realized that peaches was coiled almost painfully tight around her wrist and emitting a soft but threatening hiss.

"Never a dull moment, Artemis. Care to introduce me?" He asked, not taking his eyes from the small snake. Mis cleared her throat.

 _"This is Peaches."_ She said in Parsletounge, his looked amused for half a second that she could speak the language.

"Peaches?" He asked disdainfully. Lia smirked at his mocking tone.

"Problem… Tommy?" She asked challengingly. She saw a flare of anger cross his face for half a second before he controlled it.

"What is your true name?" Tom asked the snake, ignoring Mis. Peaches pulled her small head up, high and proud.

 _"Peaches is the name my adopted blood has given me, and I have accepted it. It is my true name."_ The little snake answered imperiously, seeming almost disgusted by his question. _"I kindly ask you release Artemis's hand. She is mine."_ Peaches said, soft but decidedly threatening. Tom chuckled, but didn't let go of Mis's hand.

 _"Serpents are always so possessive, aren't we?"_ He said to the snake. Mis didn't like the look on Toms face at that moment, it made her distinctly uncomfortable.

"You heard her. Let go." Mis said firmly, feeling annoyed. He looked down at her with amusement for half a second before letting go of her hand and holding both of his up lazily.

"Far be it from me to infringe on another's territory." He said with that predatory smile.

"I feel the need to remind you that I'm not anyone's territory, but I'm also afraid that such a concept might cause your head smoke with the effort to understand me. So I'll just thank you." Mis said, smiling sweetly. He smirked and stepped away from her, towards the open library to the left of the foyer.

"I'm growing fond of the venom you spit with a smile. Though granted, seeing it directed towards someone other than myself might be more preferable." He said surprisingly casual. Mis nearly laughed.

"Wow, the devil gave me a compliment, I'm not sure if I should say thank you or pray." She said. His eyes narrowed.

"There is no devil, little girl…evil is man's making and man's perception. The sooner you learn the truth, that good and evil don't exist, the sooner you'll be free. The devil belongs in stories to make children behave, and in poetry for existential musings, nothing more." He said coldly. Mis nodded at him thoughtfully.

"I disagree." Mis said simply with a shrug, before pointing at the open library door where she saw the promise of a warm fire flickering out of view. "Can I warm up a bit before we get into this meta-as-fuck conversation? I'm cold." She said blandly. She didn't wait for his reply, and instead turned to walk away. He caught her wrist in his cold hand and Mis turned back with a quirked eyebrow.

"Do not turn away when I'm speaking to you." He said in a low voice, it was threatening, but for some reason Mis didn't feel very threatened…she felt a little sorry. He seemed slightly pitiful to her at that moment, having been used to disrespect his entire childhood, he made it a point to demand it, whatever it took now. She didn't want to be needlessly obtuse, she had to learn to be gentler.

"I'll tell you something about myself that you've probably already guessed. If you command me to do something, there is a 99% chance that I won't do it out of principle. If you ask me to do something, you'll find I'm actually a pretty reasonable person." She explained, not fighting his hold on her wrist. So many emotions flitted over his face at her words, but the predominant one was outrage.

"I do _not_ ask." He said harshly, through gritted teeth. Mis yanked her wrist out of his grasp.

"Then I will _not_ listen." She spat, and turned to stride into the library. She spotted the fireplace crackling to her right and lunged towards it. She knelt down and held her hands to it, letting the warmth seep into her hands with Peaches now curling more comfortably around her wrist. She closed her eyes and let out a happy sigh. She jolted a moment later when she felt something heavy fall on her shoulders, her eyes shot open and she looked up to find Tom standing over her and adjusting the blanket more securely around her. She stared at him in wonder because it was such a tender thing to do, so out of place and jarring. She narrowed her eyes at him. Of course she knew he wasn't doing it out of kindness necessarily, everything he did was a calculated action and she knew it. Still though, nice gestures were nice gestures

"Thank you." She said, giving him a curt nod.

"My pleasure." He replied easily a smile in his eyes. He stared down at her for another beat of time before lazily walking over to the large red chair by the fireplace. He sat down, crossed his legs and laced his fingers together and suddenly Mis felt like she was at some kind of demented interview. He was so clearly posing, like a goddamn preening peacock that Mis had to fight the the irritation suddenly heating up her blood. He seemed to understand what she was thinking at least partially, because a triumphant flicker came into his deep, dark eyes. "So…" He said. Mis looked away from him and back to the dancing fire, wondering how in the hell she was going to begin anything. Save him…she nearly laughed aloud, she felt like she was staring at a centuries old stone wall, entirely unwilling to listen and certainly unwilling move. It was frustrating.

"So…what?" She asked, because everything has to start somewhere she supposed.

"What brings a young woman to my door at such a suggestive hour? A man could be inclined to suspect motives of a less than pure nature, especially after that interesting letter. Not that I'm opposed, little viper." He said with a wink. Mis wasn't angry, actually she pitied the poor moron for trying to get a rise out of her in such an obvious way. Mis snorted.

"Was I supposed to get all flushed at that?" She asked mildly. "How dare you imply such impropriety, Mr. Voldy?…I'd never!" She said prissily, overdoing a posh British accent to illustrate her point. "Please…" She muttered with an eyeroll.

"Well a man can only hope to achieve a chaste blush on such a sweet face." He replied back smoothly. Mis heaved a sigh and rubbed her temple, more weary than irritated.

"Can you like…just fucking chill? Like for ten minutes of your life? You have zero chill, and it's really exhausting to me." Mis said honestly. "Take a bath, eat a cupcake, or read a book for godssake." Mis said under her breath. Tom raised an eyebrow, and picked up a book that had been previously resting on the arm of the chair and held it up mildly. Mis scooted closer, curious to know what in the world he could possibly be reading. It was a book of poetry, Mis noted, an anthology covering the 18th and 19th century.

"You like poetry?" She asked suspiciously.

"I do." He answered evenly. Mis leaned away from him as if he was a experiment due to combust at any moment.

"Why?" She asked.

"It is a study in human frailty." He said smugly.

"While you're not technically wrong…" Mis said holding up a finger. "You might want to try just enjoying it?" She suggested. Tom stared at her as if she were quite insane.

"Whatever for?" He asked. Mis snorted, because she felt like if she tried to explain what she meant, it would be similar to trying to explain colors to the blind.

"Nevermind…" She said with a wave of her hand. "I'll explain some other time. Right now we've got a bit of a problem that needs sorting out." Mis said, switching to her business tone abruptly.

"Oh?…I'm wounded that this isn't merely a social call." He said with false hurt, daintily holding his hand over his heart as if offended. Mis gave him a look that indicated she wasn't amused.

"I've got something of your's, Tommy, and I want to give it back." She said clinically. He chuckled.

"I know what you have, little viper, but I won't be taking it back." He informed her with a smirk. Mis's eye twitched.

"Gotta be difficult, eh?" She said without much heat. "Why won't you take it back?" She asked him. He raised an eyebrow at her as if that was a stupid question.

"You make a marvelous horcrux, my viper. Magic cannot touch you, my enemies will not harm you, and you have sacrificed yourself to my whims without me having to make a call on you, which leads me to believe that there is some emotional connection that you feel to my soul. This works well in my favor, as it indicates you are attached to me in some way. Furthermore, you are a Slytherin and therefore I needn't fear that you would attempt to harm yourself in order to harm me." He said with a matter of fact shrug. "…and I thought you'd be difficult to catch, but it seems you wanted to be caught, not that I'm complaining as it certainly simplifies things for me. All I really have to do now is make sure you are comfortable, and content here…because I assure you, you will not be leaving." He said with that predatory smile twisting his attractive face. Mis blinked slowly.

"Ok, Hamlet, now that you've got the soliloquy out of your system, can you shut the hell up and listen, please?" Mis asked acidly, not in any mood to get backtalk. "Here's whats gonna happen." She said, scooting over on her knees to look at him straight on. "I'm going to offer you a deal." She said, causing Tom's eyes to brighten and a smirk to spread across his face.

"I'm listening." He said, shifting forward in his seat so his face was closer to hers.

"I'll stay here with you for three months, and I can guarantee no harm will come to either you or your followers in that time. In exchange, I ask that you do not threaten, curse, torture, kill or otherwise cause any emotional distress to anyone that I deem under my protection." Mis said crisply, staring him down without blinking. Tom narrowed his eyes. "In other words, you will have my undivided attention for three months and you may do with me as you like…or try to do with me as you like. I can't promise I won't beat the ever-loving fuck out of you if you get handsy…otherwise all phycological attacks, including bribery, threatening or anything else you can muster is fair game as long as it is directed solely at me." Mis said with a small challenging smile, that Tom matched easily.

"Hmmm, an interesting proposal. Though I wonder what you gain from this…" He said, sounding cheery. Mis kept her smile in place without any difficulty.

"What can I say? I just love the company of psychotic, mass-murdering, silk robe wearing men…we all have our weaknesses." She replied easily. Tom chuckled again.

"Allow me to summarize, just for my own purposes. You will spend three months with me, in this house specifically? Or will you be anywhere I am?" He asked.

"Anywhere you are." She answered. Tom nodded.

"…and I mustn't harm anyone under your protection?" He asked.

"Correct, and for the record just assume that everyone is under my protection…"Mis paused in thought. "I take it back, if you wanna kill Umbridge or Bellatrix, I'd be fine with that." She qualified. He chuckled.

"…and I can use any type of coercion on you?" He asked. "So I can threaten you?" He asked a smile playing around his lips.

"Only if it directed at me and me alone, threaten my family and I kill you." She said matter of factly. He rolled his eyes as if he didn't think that was humanly possible.

"I can bribe you?" He asked.

"You can try." Mis said evenly.

"Seduce you?" He said, the smirk on his face growing wider as he leaned closer. Mis snorted, genuinely amused.

"Yeah, good luck with that." She said with a short laugh. Tom leaned back in his chair, and looked her up and down.

"I accept." He said, offering his hand.

"If either of us fails to uphold our end of the bargain, the bargain is terminated." Mis said, extending her own. "Agreed?"

Tom took her hand and shook it, and Mis though it felt like dry snow.

"Agreed." She said, and wondered if she'd just made a deal with the devil.


End file.
